The Heir
by Mandy1229
Summary: Totally AU, Dick finds out he is dying and wants a child.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have several different stories on my thumb drive. This one was finished so I decided to post it.

**The Heir**

Dick entered his office, nodded at his personal assistant and sank onto his chair. Looking at Kayla, he said bleakly "You were right to insist on my going to the doctors."

His forty year old assistant who in the last eight years had been more of a mother to him than his own mother had been in his entire life sat down across from him and asked "What happened, Richard?"

With a bitter laugh, Dick replied. "For once my dad did me a favor. Once again however the information he gave me was too late."

"I don't understand." Kayla said, her brown eyes scanning the twenty six year old sitting in front of her, taking in the dejected form and clearly broken spirit.

"I got my results back from my tests." Dick replied and then gave her the bad news. "They found a tumor, Kayla."

"Was it cancerous and where?" She asked wanting to know all of the facts. Dick had come to her eight years ago, wanting to make different choices in his life, of course with typical Dick Casablancas disregard for niceties, he had sat drunk at the counter in the bar she owned and had spilled his life story.

How he had been born the eldest son of a rich family, how his mother had abandoned the two sons, how his father kept getting younger and younger trophy wives and how his brother had killed innocents and had then committed suicide himself.

He had finished his story by telling her about his freshman year of college and how it had just ended earlier that day. With his best friend fleeing the country to get over a girl he had described as pure destruction for said friend, how he had tried to apologize to his late brother's girlfriend, about the almost drunken kiss, and finally how having his father around was making him want to just run away. What he hadn't told her but that she had figured out was that he had already been drunk for several days before entering her bar.

She had taken one look at the blond, resisting the urge to shake him until his brain rattled then blasted him when he was too drunk to leave. Having already confiscated his keys, his wallet and his cell phone, she had left him drunk on the booth bench then the next morning had shown up with coffee and a lecture and a very large dose of honesty.

He had stormed out of the bar, swearing at her. A week later he had returned, apologized and had listened to her suggestions. He had moved into a small apartment off campus, gotten his act together and had graduated from college.

He had still partied a bit, after all he had still been a young boy, but there had been a difference to it, less of a sense of desperation. The only thing she hadn't been able at the time to change was his habit of sleeping around with as many different girls as possible.

When she had suggested maybe finding a girl to love, she had seen the old wildness in his eyes and something told her that there might have been someone who had touched him, but that in his fear of commitment, of trusting someone that he had let her slip away.

This morning however, she saw in his eyes, the same fear but this time it was for a different reason as he explained about the tumor being malignant. "Dick, there are options."

"They would only extend my life by a year or so, Kay." He said his eyes distant. "I don't want to die that way, needing a nurse, unable to dress myself, unable to… to… I can't, I won't live like that."

Kayla could understand that, when she had met Dick she had just lost her husband of ten years to MS, she could understand that sometimes extending life wasn't that great when the quality of that life was so terrible. "What do you need me to do?"

Dick sat there for a few minutes and then looked at her. "I need you to help me start settling my estate. My doctor gives me a year at most. I can't; I won't spend that time working. I have things; things I have to fix. Things I pushed back thinking I would have the time to do later."

"I will see what projects, what contractors you need to arrange meetings with." She said slipping into business mode even as her mind tried to figure out what to do to help him with this.

"Kay, I want you to know, you will be taken of." He felt her hand slam against his lips, then when she had lifted it wryly added "How about instead of me saying that I just say that there is a plan for taking care of my estate."

Staring at the boy whose will was a one page document when she met him, she said "Richard, what is going on in that head of yours?"

Standing, moving to the window, he said "I am never going to get a chance at a family, at doing right what my parents messed up at. I always thought; give it time, prove I wasn't like my dad, like Beaver but there is no time left."

Turning he leaned against the credenza and said "Is it selfish to want a child, a legacy to make sure the world knew I was here?"

"Richard." Kayla saw the bleakness in his eyes and then the way his hands were on the photo he had long kept on his desk of his brother and a girl with dark hair that had blue streaks in it. "Why don't I take care of business today? Go to the beach."

"No, I need to go to the cemetery on the other side of Neptune." He said as he went to grab his keys. Staring at them, recalling all he had read in the doctor's office about his illness and he looked at her and said "Its on my list, driving soon won't be possible. I am going to head down the coast, top down and just breathe then go visit my brother."

When Dick had left, Kayla sat there, stunned at the idea of losing the young man she had come to love and respect in such a way.

Making calls, canceling meeting with contractors for their upcoming projects, she went back to his office, looking at the model of was going to be the last project for this company. An open air shopping mall, made with sustainable products that Dick had in typical fashion described as the ultimate prison for married men.

On her way out, she stopped at the blueprints Dick had on his wall in a frame. Her boss' dream home, the only project he had ever started and didn't finish. It was hard not to stare at them, knowing that he had said he would wait until he was thirty to build it. She knew there was more to it then just the house; she just had never gotten him to explain why.

Arriving at her desk three hours later, she heard the elevator opening and grimaced when Dick Senior exited the elevator and came her way.

"Where is my son?" He asked.

"Richard is out of the office right now. Would you like to leave a message?" She asked and when he tried to open the door to the inner office but found it locked, she repeated. "I am sorry, Mr. Casablancas but like I said, Richard is out of the office."

"That's fine; it's fine to let me in, Kate. I am going to be running things here, soon enough. Richard would want me to take a look at any current projects and would you please bring me in any files on projects that we are just looking for investors for." He said as pleasantly as possible.

When she didn't move, his eyes turned to ice as he said "I am waiting."

"Mr. Casablancas, I am sorry but by the requirements of our company bond, I can't legally do that." She said not sorry at all, she knew the entire history between Dick and his father. "Only staff members may look at those files."

"Well, with my son's illness, I will be taking charge of things around here. Now unless you want to be replaced, I suggest you do as I asked." He tersely stated.

Kayla now knew why Richard was shutting down his company. He had worked hard, using his own funds to start this company, they NEVER used outside investors to build projects, he still felt guilt at how his father had fleeced so many people and she also knew that he would burn the building down rather than ever turn it over to Dick Senior she said "Well until I hear those words from Richard, sir, I am afraid that I can't do as you requested."

Dick moved closer to the frump who worked behind the desk, once again frustrated by her even being allowed to work there. He didn't understand why on earth when his son could have the pick of any woman to work for him, he would chose this battle ax but he wasn't going to stand being talked to that way by a mere employee. "You're fired, clear out your desk and leave."

Kayla said "You are going to have to call security before I do that. Mr. Casablancas wouldn't fire me for keeping you out."

The man moved in until he was inches away and hit the buttons on the office phone. Hearing a distant voice he snapped "I want security up on the top floor."

When security arrived, Dick Senior saw that the man in the suit was on the phone. When he ignored him and kept talking to whoever he was speaking to, he walked over and ripped the phone of his hand. "I want that woman removed from this building."

Webster looked at Dick Senior then at the woman he knew was second in charge and his second boss, took back his phone and hit redial. "Yes sir that was your father."

Putting it on speaker, he let Richard Casablancas Senior hear his son's worlds. "Why is my father there?"

"He fired me." Kayla replied.

"He can't do that." Dick retorted then they could hear him counting to ten then saying "Kayla would you please call me on the office phone so that I may speak to my father privately."

When she had done that and handed the phone to Dick Senior with a smirk on her face knowing that it chaffed the older man that he didn't have his son's cell phone number, the security staff moved far enough away for her to ensure privacy as Dick talked to his old man.

"Father, leave my office. I don't want to hear anything. Not why you are there, not what right you seem to think you have to fire my staff. Just leave and don't come back."

"Richard, don't you think with what is going on that maybe it might be a good idea for someone healthy to take charge of the company."

"I will be running my company until the day of my death, at which point my heirs will inherit it." He said then hearing his father muttering something, he added "Let me make it very clear, you are not my heir. You never will be. I have accepted you back in my life, but you will never run my company. Do I make myself clear?"

Dick Senior was fuming as he saw the smirking assistant and the head of security talking and clearly dismissing him as he said "Richard, I don't think you truly appreciate the gravity of the situation. You are going to die, there is no one else."

Dick didn't like how his father seemed to know his medical diagnosis but he dismissed it in the need to make sure that his father didn't get access to his company. "I understand the situation; it's you who doesn't, father. I don't care if I die tomorrow, you will never, ever get your hands on my company."

"Richard, you need to think about your shareholders, your investors." Dick Senior tried his most charming voice. "Don't you want what is best for them?"

"Even if I had shareholders or investors, which I don't; something tells me that turning my company over to a man who fleeced his own investors wouldn't be the smart approach."

"Wait, what do you mean you don't have shareholders or investors, Richard?" Dick Senior was confused. His son ran a multi-million dollar real estate and construction company, he builds major projects on the California coast; of course he had investors and shareholders.

"Simply put, its all mine. I didn't use others' money, I took out a loan on the house you oh so conveniently put in my name for my first building, then used it as leverage to get a loan for my second, then when it was paid back I used the second for my next. Simply put I owe about two million five to the bank for the mall but the rest is all my funds."

Stunned, Dick Senior looked around the tenth floor office of a twenty million dollar building that apparently his twenty six year old son owned outright, thought about the other businesses he knew his son owned and gulped as he realized just how rich his loafer of a son had become on his own before the age of thirty. Two point five million was pocket change and yet he had taken out a loan. "Why did you take out a loan then?"

Chuckling bitterly Dick said "I am using the loans and paying them back not only as tax shelters but also to rebuild the Casablancas name in the business community. I wanted it to stand for honesty and good business decisions, something that thanks to you it didn't when I first started. There is no way in hell you will ever get your hands on my company and ruin what I built, dad."

Dick Senior saw the security staff start to move forward after his son had hung up the phone; quickly deciding to leave, he went to his hotel suite and found his wife. "We have to head out of town."

"I thought you were going to take your company back from your son?" The woman said as she looked up from where she was filing her nails and at her much older and rich husband. "I thought that was why we were here?"

"I have to go to New York on a business trip for him." Dick Senior lied. When he had gotten her in a better mood, clearly not wanting to go to New York during the winter time with thoughts of a shopping trip on Fifth Avenue, Dick called down and ordered a limo to take them to the airport.

Speaking to the pilot, Dick soon had them on the way to the Big Apple while he contrived of another way to get control of his son's business. He had money but he needed a way to launder it after years of denying he had any of his investor's funds.

In several bank accounts around the world, he had close to four hundred million dollars just sitting around waiting for him to play with. Looking at his wife, wondering if she was pregnant yet, he thought about his father's will and the trusts set up for possible Casablancas heirs and how getting access to that measly five million dollars was now his only chance of setting up a new company.

Dick arrived back in Neptune after the drive up the PCH and drove to the beach. Sitting on Dog Beach, remembering the past, he heard someone calling out to a Lilly to be careful and was reminded of the past.

Turning, he saw the blond girl flying a kite and smiled when he saw the fierce concentration on her face. He felt sick at the idea of never getting a chance to watch his own child but more sure than ever of his plan.

"Dick?"

Dick looked up to see Duncan Kane standing near him. Looking back at the little girl he asked "Is that Meg's daughter?"

Nodding, Duncan sat down and said "Long time no see."

"Yeah, fleeing the country can ruin that for you." He said dryly then stated "I would guess things got straightened out for you?"

"Yeah, thanks to Grace Manning." He replied. "She was almost fifteen when she got the courage to escape her dad."

"Some of us can't do that as adults." Dick stated.

"Yeah." Duncan went quiet then said "I uh, I haven't seen anyone since we got back last month. My mom said that she never kept track of anyone."

"If you are talking about Veronica." Dick began.

"No, I spoke to Veronica. I know she is working to get her license as a lawyer in New York. I also know that she is completely fucked up emotionally." Duncan said quietly then thinking on his determination to no longer hide things said "I know about Beaver and what happened at Shelley's party."

"Yeah; I fucked up, big time." Dick said sick to his stomach. "I never ever thought-."

"I can guess what happened." Duncan said then added "Veronica still deep down in spite of I think still being in love with Logan, blames him, blames Madison but I am the person really at fault."

Dick's eyes went to Duncan and said "How are you at fault for that night?"

"I was at fault for what happened that year, for a whole hell of a lot of things that time away and growing up and becoming a dad made me face." He said then told Dick about his belief that Veronica was his sister, how his inaction had led to the terrible chasm between Logan and her.

"Fuck, Duncan. That was some pretty heavy shit to be dealing with when your sister had just died." Dick stated then looking around saw that Lilly was with another girl and distracted.

"Anyhow, Veronica deep down can't face what really happened. She never will and frankly until she does, both Logan and she will never be happy." Duncan stated. "I wish I could fix things but no one knows where Logan is."

"I used to get a post card now and then from him but that stopped a few years ago, now I get an odd e-mail here and there." Dick admitted. "It's usually a picture from some distant beach and says wish you were here."

"I screwed him over in a need to get my life back and then it wasn't even the life I wanted. I knew Veronica was back with me because strong emotions scared her. That I was safe." Duncan said sadly. "I hurt Meg, I hurt Veronica and Logan but at the time, I just thought that if I was dating Veronica, things would be like they had been when Lilly was alive."

Dick sat there; he could understand that, he hid from his emotions by covering them with shallow superficial ones. He had for most of his life and after today he couldn't do that, not any longer.

Looking at Duncan he didn't sugar coat things as he said "Yeah, you fucked up. So did I, so did everyone else, man. Logan tried and tried with Veronica, but nothing he ever did was good enough."

"Dick, they both fucked up. Logan did too." Duncan said then looking at him said "Veronica admits that she hasn't had a relationship that lasts longer than six weeks since she left Neptune. I saw Wallace; do you remember her basketball friend?"

"Sure, he became an engineer or something, right?" Dick recalled the kid with the airplane from Hearst.

"Yeah, his mom recently married another executive at my dad's company. I saw him in town for the wedding. He and I talked. He says that Veronica basically doesn't date much and that when she does it is guys like the old me, like someone named Piz."

"Piz, what an ass he was." Dick can still recall the day the DJ had taken such pleasure in rubbing it in Logan's face that Veronica had transferred to school in New York. That was the day that Logan had changed, he had dropped out of school and just left town.

"Yeah so I heard." Duncan said then turning he greeted the two girls both of whom called him dad to Dick's surprise. "Dick, these are my daughters, Stephanie and Lilly."

"Dad is it time to meet Mommy?" the youngest asked and Dick couldn't help estimating her age to be about seven. Looking at Duncan when he suggested they gather their stuff, he asked "Two daughters?"

"I met someone in Australia. I went to therapy before dating her, a bit freaked out because she reminded me of my sister Lilly." He said wryly.

"You are married now?"

"Yes, Devon has our two sons with her." Duncan saw Dick's surprise and admitted. "We live in the Outback, Dick. Not a lot to do there."

Smacking his arm, Dick looked at him and got serious. "Man, I am glad you found what you are looking for. Be happy, at least one of the screwed up children of Neptune deserves that."

Duncan's eyes went to Dick's face and asked "Why aren't you happy. I heard about your company, that it was successful."

"Money isn't everything." Dick said soberly. "I uh, I wish you well."

Leaving the beach, Dick drove over to the house that gave him his first start. Looking around inside, seeing the dust covers and the feeling of emptiness, he decided to hire someone to pack up the personal shit and then donate the furniture to some charity before tearing the place down.

Looking around, he had an idea and went to visit Logan's lawyer. "Thanks for seeing me, Cliff."

"What may I do for you, Mr. Casablancas?"

Looking down at his hands, he said "Something came up and I really need to track down Logan. When he calls you next time, would you give him a message for me?"

"Sure. You do know that he doesn't call regularly?" Cliff asked.

"Yeah, just tell him that- just tell him-" Dick didn't know what to say. He didn't want his best friend to learn from a newspaper about his death but he also didn't want to just spill the beans via an attorney.

Looking up he asked to borrow some paper and when it was handed to him, Dick took a deep breath and put down in words what he needed to. Sealing it in the offered envelope, he said "Please make sure he gets this, its urgent."

"Something I should know about?" The man asked.

Dick looked at the attorney and said "I uh, found out I have a brain tumor. I didn't want Logan to read about it in the paper."

Cliff's smile went away as he got that this wasn't some weird attempt to get a hold of Logan, no this was clearly serious. "What are your options?"

"When and how I die are about it." Dick admitted.

With that, he thanked the man and left the small office that had once held the Mars Investigations offices. He had one more stop to make before he went home and that was not one he was looking forward to.

Stopping at the florist, being sure to purchase a cactus plant, he drove out to the cemetery and walked across its rolling lawns to his family's private mausoleum.

Seeing the evidence that the staff kept things cleared of graffiti, he entered the wrought iron gate and sat down on the marble bench across from the square bearing the name Cassidy.

"Hey bro." His voice was steady as he sat there and told him about business. At the end, he said "Dad showed up again. I know he means well but he can't let his games and his shit go. No matter how much I try to forgive him, to forgive myself. I can't. Now, now it's too late."

"I have cancer, Cass. How funny is that? I used to think I was invincible, clearly I am not. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I mean I knew I had some seriously bad karma coming my way, but at the same time, I guess I thought that the changes I made meant it wouldn't find me."

Resting his head in his hands, Dick said "I have a plan. How is that, hilarious huh, I have a plan. I don't want dad to get a hold of my money and I want a baby but I guess it's a good thing I won't be here to screw it up? I mean look how badly I helped screw you up."

Dick kept talking, rambling about how he would see parents with their kids in the park and how it had made him wish things were different. "I thought I had all of the time in the world to find the right person, to finally, finally understand why other people seemed to love their family."

He looked at the marble slab etched with his brother's name and admitted. "But to have that, I would have to find the right girl and all I ever seemed to find was the right this second girl. We have talked about this before, how I missed seeing what was right in front of me. I have a plan though, I am going to use this to right a few more wrongs."

"Cass, I am going to do something that is going to make you kick my ass when we finally meet but I need to do this, I need to ask someone I trust absolutely to be the mother of my child. We both know who I am going to ask."

Dick stood and walked over to the planter he had had placed in front of Beaver's spot and put in the cactus plant. "You already hate me, how much worse can you hate me for what I am going to do?"

With that, he walked to the slab next to Beaver's which would soon be his and looked down at his hands and admitted. "I don't want to die, Beaver. I don't want it to end this way, not now. Still I had almost twice the amount of time on earth you did, so I guess I should be happy with that."

* * *

Mac was annoyed as she heard the sound of someone leaning on her buzzer. Letting in Veronica, she waited until her best friend had joined her in her admittedly sparsely furnished loft and said "You know right this minute, I am not exactly regretting the move back to Neptune. No one showing up at my place in the middle of the night; no one to drive me insane, I won't know what to do with myself."

"Really 'cause last time I checked, Lauren still went home during the summer and Ryan still visited in between sports seasons." Veronica said with a cheeky grin at Mac. "Besides, you know you are going to miss me."

Looking around her wide open loft, Mac asked "Are you sure you don't mind moving in here and taking care of things for me?"

"Let's see, moving into a loft in Tribeca with four times the space of my tiny itty bitty apartment rent free in exchange for making sure my land lord's property manager doesn't commit any crimes. Yeah, that will be such a hardship." Veronica said with chuckle.

"So, what did Duncan want?" Mac asked as they settled onto the sofa.

"He was telling me that they are heading home to Australia; that to Celeste his wife Devon is even more of the antichrist that I ever was and that he had the oddest run in with Dick Casablancas."

"Uh oh, are we talking about the unmentionable?" Mac asked a bit hopefully.

"No, they only mentioned Logan in passing." Veronica admitted then looking at Mac said "It's too late, Mac. It's too late and I have let it go."

"That's why you have barely dated since you left Neptune." Mac said quietly. "That's why perfectly hot guys like that bistro owner with the Irish accent didn't even get your number. Veronica, until you deal with your past, you won't be able to have a real future."

Veronica looked at Mac then said "Hello pot, my name is kettle."

"At least I understand my issues. Its not too many girls whose first boyfriend was a rapist, whose second came out and announced to the world he is gay and whose third ended up running off and marrying an ex hooker during the summer break during which he spent it lying to me about taking care of a sick grandmother. Seriously,  
the most normal guy I have had any contact with was Dick Casablancas when he tried to kiss me while drunk once." Mac announced.

"Dick and normal in the same sentence, yup, you win the bad relationship trophy." Veronica said handing her the box of Kleenex on the coffee table. "Wait, back up, Dick tried to kiss you?"

"Long story but simply put, he was drunk and tried to kiss me. I think that I am hardly the last girl that has happened to." Mac said rolling her eyes at the memory. "Now on to more important subjects; I still haven't found property for my office. Cliff is seriously about to be fired."

"I thought he sent you a list already." Veronica asked as she took the offered glass of wine then watched as Mac poured herself one. "Wait, is the wine stock staying, because I have to say that is deal breaker."

Laughing, Mac said "Yes it is. I am thinking that while home I might start finding some good California wines to add to it. Just imagine road trips to Napa."

Taking a sip, Mac said "Cliff's list included some seriously 'are you kidding' buildings, including one not that far from the Fitzpatrick's old stomping grounds and of course the building Dick owns. I told him that I can't afford that kind of money but in truth I can't think of any place less I would like to move to."

"You don't want Dick as your landlord." Veronica said with a twist of her lips at the idea of the boy who never took anything serious ending up being successful in business.

Mac and Logan had sold the majority of the shares in the Internet start up of 'Grade My_!' and had kept about a twenty percent share evenly divided. As a result, Mac had found herself a good tax attorney who when she moved to New York had talked her into buying some real estate in an up and coming area, which promptly had doubled in value.

She had moved to New York to finish her schooling and to be closer to Veronica who had known she was going through a bad time that she never really explained to anyone. The two friends had found themselves enjoying living in the big city and had spent the last five years visiting every single major city from Boston to Miami when they had free time.

The two friends discussed everything with one major exception. Neptune and what had gone on during their freshmen year of college. Both had moved on they claimed but in truth, neither of them had faced their pasts.

Early the next morning, Veronica helped Mac load her suitcase into her car and asked her to reconsider driving back to California. "A train, a train would show you all the scenery you want, Mac."

"I will be fine. I have my cell phone; my car has a tracker on it. Veronica, I need to do this. I need to get my head on straight before returning home to help my dad."

Mac's father had had a stroke and was now pretty much unable to work. Mac had helped him start up his own company, having kept a tight rein of things so that the company showed a profit but now, with Sam unable to run things, Mac had to go home and decide what to do, but she still had her own company to worry about.

She had been creating games on the side but Mackenzie Internet Security was a very good part time gig and she had shunted some business to her competitors as it was in order to head home but Mac knew she was the best and that when she was done dealing with things, her clients would return.

The problem was that Mac was growing bored with things but she had no idea what to do about it. Her company gave her the time and money to do all of the things she had longed to as a teenager but at the same time, she was getting tired of coming home to an empty loft.

She loved having Veronica around but someday her friend would pull her head out of her ass and straighten things out with Logan. She really didn't want them to be forty year olds with nothing to show for her life but a nice career and a great view.

As she passed through Ohio two days later, Mac heard her phone ringing and seeing the Balboa county area code, sent it to her voice mail. Arriving in Saint Louis, she saw another call from the same number and debated answer it but she knew it wasn't her family so she hit ignore.

Just outside Tuscan, she saw the third call and didn't even think before sending it to voice mail. Arriving two days later, she pulled over and listened to her voice mails glad she had taken the time to drive to Neptune.

She felt calm and at peace as she heard the first voice mail, this one from Veronica that ended with a threat to eat the secret stash of candy she had found.

The second call was a hang up. Realizing this was the number she hadn't recognized, she listened to the next which had some heavy breathing as if someone was trying to find the words then the third mystery call was a woman asking her to meet her when she arrived in Neptune at the new trauma center near the beach.

"What the heck?" She knew it wasn't about her father; he was doing as well as could be expected for a man who refused to listen to his doctor and eat healthier. Then she thought about it, what if it was Logan.

While he never sent Veronica anything, Mac would frequently receive post cards from out of the way beaches. She also knew that he had her listed as one of his contacts in case of emergency.

Driving over to the hospital, she found that it had valet parking and quickly handed over her keys while asking to be directed to the main desk. Arriving, she asked the woman "I am looking for Logan Echolls' room."

"Logan Echolls, is that with a k?" The woman asked and Mac tersely spelled out the last name. The woman did some typing then frowning said "We don't have a Logan Echolls listed."

"What about a John Doe?" Mac asked worried he had had a surfing incident and that no one knew his name but threw that idea out when she realized that someone here had called her. "No, never mind."

Taking out her cell phone and waving off the woman when she announced this was a no cell phone zone, Mac moved back to the doorway. "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Mac Mackenzie. Someone at this number called me regarding a Logan Echolls." She said.

"Logan? Dick's old friend?" The woman said.

"Yes, they called and told me to meet them at the Neptune Trauma Center." Mac announced.

The confusion going away the woman said "I will be right down; I am here at the hospital, I think there is a bit of miscommunication going on."

Mac sat down and waited for the husky voice woman to join her, her mind on what type of miscommunication there could be.

Kayla entered the lobby and saw the girl from the photo on her boss' desk and stopped dead. Her eyes went wide as she saw the young woman fiddling with her phone, clearly worried.

Moving forward she introduced herself and said "I am sorry that you misunderstood. My name is Kayla Northam; I am Dick Casablancas personal assistant. Dick had a bit of an accident and when I found his phone, I saw that your number was the last he had dialed."

"Dick? Why would Dick be calling me?" Mac asked then added "What did he do, fall off his surfboard."

Recalling her promise to her boss not to tell a single soul just yet what was going on, Kayla said "Would you have time to go upstairs and speak to him. It's rather important."

"Just tell him that I am sure he knows more about Logan's whereabouts than I do." Mac said firmly as she began to walk out the door.

"Ms. Mackenzie…" Mac turned and saw that the tall older woman wearing glasses and twisting her hands seemed upset so she returned. "Please, just speak to my boss."

"Fine, but I have to get to my parents house soon." Mac stated knowing that they wouldn't worry because they weren't expecting her to arrive until the next day.

Surprised when instead of heading to trauma they went to oncology, Mac was unable to process what she saw when she went into the room and saw Dick arguing with a doctor.

"I told you, I don't want the treatments. Listen, you are my doctor; I pay you to do what I want. So, just back off." Dick growled.

Hearing footsteps and hoping that Kayla had returned, Dick looked up and saw Mac. Mac standing there looking a bit wrinkled but still absolutely incredible. "M-mac?"

"Hey, hi, I mean hello, how are you?" Kayla who had followed her in saw the odd exchange and something clicked as she saw the way Dick seemed to be in stunned shock yet his eyes were taking in every detail of the young woman in front of him.

"Fine." Dick answered then scoffed when he saw her disbelief. "Guess I am not as a good a liar as I used to be. Uh, well turns out; karma is a bitch. I have cancer."

"Skin cancer?" She asked her mind on all of the times she had seen him at the beach without a shirt and more than likely with his skin exposed to the sun.

Blinking he asked "Why would you think that?"

"You used to spend a lot of time in the sun without a shirt, Dick." Mac pointed out.

Dick replied "No, not skin cancer. I did know to use sunscreen, Mac."

Mac waited for him to continue, was about to ask him when he finally spoke. "Turns out I have brain after all and that there are tiny microbes up there eating away at it. Funny huh, Dick Casablancas has brain cancer."

Taking in the news, Mac asked "When we came in, you were refusing treatment, why?"

"Why not?" He asked. Seeing her shock, he said "It's fatal Mac. There is no coming back from it."

"How?" She asked still trying to wrap her mind around the idea.

"I don't know, I guess the usual way. All I know is that a few weeks ago, my eyes started to hurt and I would get migraines. My dad mentioned that my great grandfather died of a brain aneurysm. The money I got from my trust, I inherited it when my granddad died of some cancer of the brain."

"I'm sorry, Dick." Mac said feeling a sense of surrealism as she listened to him speaking. "Is there anything I can do? Kayla mentioned you had called me, did you want me to locate Logan?"

"Logan will show up, it's how we are. No, I need to ask a huge favor of you." Dick said then looking at her decided that this wasn't the time or the place. "Would it be possible for you to have dinner with me tomorrow?"

"Let me get back to you." Mac saw him shutting down and reached out to touch his arm. "I am not brushing you off; I just need to see my dad. He had a stroke."

"Oh, I am sorry and here I am bothering you." Dick didn't want to put pressure on Mac; she clearly had enough to deal with without his adding to it.

"No, it's no bother." Mac said swallowing the lump in her throat as she patted his arm and began to back out of the room, needing air for some reason when she looked back and saw him sitting there being checked over by his doctor.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

Mac entered the restaurant and saw that it was practically empty. "Mac?"

Greeting her former classmate, Mac was still surprised to find out that Butters of all people had ended up running the only three and half-star restaurant in Neptune. She always ended up thinking about the Pirate Ship when she saw the guy and her lips ended up twitching even as she took in his suit and tie.

"Who are you waiting for?" He asked a bit eagerly, thinking she had grown even better looking than when she was in high school.

"Dick Casablancas." She said and was told he was already at a corner booth. Joining him she was asked if she was still a vegan.

"I had stopped for the past few years but my dad's stroke has me reconsidering my diet." Mac admitted.

"I have decided to eat all of things I have always wanted but never tried." Dick said with a cheerful grin that had Mac's heart aching for him. "Anyhow, I realized that this is a bit public, so do you mind waiting to talk until after we are out of here."

"Sure." Mac said as they spoke about Duncan Kane, about how shocked he had been when he had heard the story about Madison and her being switched.

"Just think you and I might have ended dating if that hadn't happened." Dick said watching Mac's wince out of the corner of his eye and deciding to back off, clearly that was one path that would never be tread.

With that they moved on to their respective businesses and Dick said "I heard your name at a conference a few months ago. It was nice to hear about your success."

"Really, why were they talking about me?" Mac asked curious as to how she had been a topic of conversation.

"Fram Industries, you caught their corporate spy." Dick said "I was surprised because I tended to think of Ronnie as the Nancy Drew of your bunch, but clearly that isn't the case."

"That was an accident Dick. I was putting in their new system when I found the Trojan horse, nothing more." She said dismissing the praise.

After dessert, Dick asked her to take a walk with him. On the same beach where he had once tried to kiss her, he asked her to be seated and said "I have no one to inherit my company. Kayla and I are closing it down after I finish my last project this year."

"Dick, how could you need my help with that?" Mac asked confused.

"It's not that." He said. "Mac, when I die, there will be no one left with good memories of Cassidy. To protect his grave from vandals. They still trash it."

"I know that you take care of it. Dick, what about your father? Wouldn't he protect the crypt?" Mac asked not sure what he wanted.

"Yes, Mac, I am explaining this wrong but this is such an awkward subject for me." He said frustrated with himself. "Mac, I am putting my money in a trust for my child, I need someone to take care of things, someone to protect him or her."

"You have a child?" She asked a bit shocked at the idea some how bothering her.

"Not yet." He admitted then came out bluntly and asked. "Mac, I don't want to die without there being someone left who would care that I am gone."

"Dick, there are plenty of people who would care." Mac said trying to be comforting but at the same time completely confused by what he was saying.

"No, Mac. There aren't." He said quietly then closing his eyes said "I want to be a dad, I want to; I always did but I thought I had plenty of time, but now-."

"Do you want me to try and talk to Madison because I have to say we don't exactly have the best relationship in spite of the way she reacted to the truth about our parents?" Mac asked.

Shuddering, Dick said "No, Madison and I were history back when we were dating. It was barely an event in either of our histories. No, Mac, I don't want Madison or any relationship like that. All I want to do is have a baby."

"Dick, you need a woman for that; even now a days with modern technology." She said trying to be helpful.

"I know, Mac." He said then looking at her said. "Mac, I don't want my child raised like I was, by nannies while my mother was getting her nails done, her nose done or while she was jetting off to Paris with her friends for the spring fashion shows."

"I don't get why you are telling me this." She replied bewildered as to why Dick who she hadn't seen in years was telling her off all people what was going on in his life.

"Let me finish. I don't have the kind of time it takes to hire and vet someone to carry my child Mac. I need someone I trust someone who can take care of things when I am gone."

Mac stood as what he was asking hit her. "Me?"

"Yes, I know what I am asking. God I know how sick this sounds. You barely tolerate me but that is part of the reason I am asking you to do this, Mac."

"Part of the reason?" Mac asked as she sat back down getting that this was no joke and that apparently Dick had put a lot of thought into this.

"The other part is that I know Logan would stick around and help and that Veronica would be there for you. That you would have help, because in spite of my proposal, in spite of this potential child being half mine, there are plenty of people who would love him or her." Mac heard his voice cracking and got that Dick had never felt that.

His voice went low as he explained. "We would need to get married, mainly to protect you and the child from my father's grasping hands. Plus when the time comes, it's not like you would be devastated that I died. I mean you would care because that is how you are, you care about people but you don't love me so; so it wouldn't be so upsetting for you that you would be physically affected while pregnant."

That word sobered Mac up a bit, the idea of her being pregnant but at the same time, she found it hard not to give Dick's plan some thought especially considering her secret.

She had made a promise to Logan when he had left town but had broken it by leaving Dick alone and to this day, Mac felt a sense of regret at that.

Now was her chance to make this up to Logan, to Dick for their last encounter before she had left Neptune. Looking at Dick, she got the feeling that he didn't remember their fight when she had taken him home, when she had been so cruel to him, after Dick had been so unknowingly honest with her.

"I will have my lawyer write everything down in a contract. He is drawing up my living will as well."

"Living Will?" Mac asked.

"I have a living will that will have to be updated of course, mainly because I don't want you to be responsible for having to pull the plug so to speak." Dick said. "I was thinking on asking Veronica, I am sure she would lose no sleep over it."

"Dick that isn't funny." Mac said quietly.

"I know." He replied then looking at her said "I don't want to die, Mac but I had my x-rays sent elsewhere this week; they confirmed that I have cancer and that it is inoperable."

"Dick, I need a few days to think about this." She said suddenly. "I am taking on a huge responsibility in being a mother, something I hadn't thought about ever."

Mac promised to call him then watched as he crossed the road and got into a waiting limo. Taking out her phone, not stopping to realize the time difference, she called Veronica.

"Hello." Veronica answered; Mac could hear her yawning through the phone.

"Dick has an inoperable brain tumor." Mac said with no warning.

"Wow, I didn't think he even had a brain." Veronica replied and was stunned to realize that Mac had hung up on her.

Feeling guilty, she quickly called her best friend who answered with "Hate him all you want, Veronica but this isn't a laughing matter."

"Sorry force of habit." Mac heard the bitter tone and sighed out loud.

Veronica swallowed her words then said "I know he isn't that kid anymore. My dad has reminded me repeatedly of that fact but to me he will always be Dick."

"He wants to be a dad. I am considering it." Mac said after filling Veronica in on what Dick had asked.

"Are you sure that he isn't playing some angle? That this isn't some sort of con or some sort of joke?" Veronica asked instantly suspicious of her former classmate.

"And his doctor and his personal assistant are in on it, right?" Mac asked. "And all of the specialists at the clinic are in on it, too?"

Veronica found she wanted it to be a joke wanted this to not be real as she realized Mac was considering doing this. "So are we talking In Vitro or what?"

"We didn't discuss that part yet." Mac admitted then had a horrible thought. "Veronica I need to talk some more to Dick but I am going to do it."

"You wouldn't have called me if you hadn't already thought about it." Veronica said. "Mac, I am going to track down Logan for Dick. He is going to need to be there. He has lost too many people who didn't say good bye first."

"Dick sent him a letter." Mac admitted. "He contacted Cliff who I gather is still Logan's attorney."

"Crap, Logan is probably frantic to get home or in a bar getting drunk out of his mind." Veronica said as she promised to talk to Mac later the next day.

* * *

Dick had barely arrived at work when Kayla entered his office and said "That coffee is bad for you."

Raising his eye brow as he stared at her, he said "Worse than cancer?"

"Sorry it's hard to stop." She replied contritely.

"Have I told you how much all of your mothering has meant to me?" He asked his hands shaking from the need to control the emotions.

"Good because we need to have a talk about this young woman, Richard." She said gently.

"Uh oh, the big guns are coming out. You only tell me this when I have screwed up something." Dick replied with a hint of a smile.

"You have feelings for this girl you asked to have your child, don't you?" She asked.

Dick was unable to meet her eyes then hearing her earrings rattling which meant she was shaking her head at him. He looked up and said "I could have. I never got the chance to find out, Kay. She left town just when I decided to grow up."

"Dick, don't die with regrets. Lies between you, tell her." She urged.

"No." He said firmly. "I told you how I fucked my life up then, what I didn't tell you is that I knew that day on the beach. I knew but she had a boyfriend and I was a chicken shit who needed to be drunk to even apologize."

When he saw her glare he added "I don't want her telling me she has feelings for me out of pity. She is agreeing to this, if she agrees to this she will already be doing so out of pity. I don't want to live my remaining days knowing that she is telling me she loves me because she feels like I need it."

"A child is a deep emotional connection, Dick especially when there are strong emotions involved. I just think that if you are going to do this, you need to be honest with her."

"She doesn't love me, Kay, she barely tolerates me. She LOVED my brother, never me." He said as he stood and moved to the window and looked out over the water, needing the space.

Kay walked over and hugged him, knowing that it was something he rarely received growing up and even currently. "Dick, even a child created in a petrii dish will create a bond between you."

"That's fine. If Mac thinks back on this time with good memories to pass on to ou-our, wow, it's hard to say the words." Dick admitted. "Our child. Our child. Mac's and mine."

Kayla went to her desk, shaking her head as she began to realize just how bad this situation was going to be especially as things progressed with Dick's illness.

"Excuse me, is Dick available?"

Looking up at Mac, taking in her jeans with a dress shirt and Kayla said "He just came back from the construction site. He is changing in his office bathroom."

"Okay, are you sure he should go to the site?" Mac asked worried about Dick getting hurt. She had read up on brain tumors and cancerous ones at that and knew that there were balance issues to worry about. "I saw him being driven around the other night and when you called me he had passed out."

"He agreed to stay on the ground, no more touring the girders." Kayla said. "He passed out because he had taken his medicine without eating."

"Mac?" Turning, Mac saw Dick standing there in a suit and tie. "Were you looking for me?"

Following him into his office, she sat down across from him and said "My answer is yes but I have two things that we need to discuss first."

"Okay." Dick answered then cautiously asked what did they need to discuss?

"First, you talked about moving in together. I am fine with that except I think that I should move in with you." She said after a few seconds. "I read up on your illness. Its better for you in the later stages to be in a place you are familiar with, Dick."

"Mac with the pregnancy, I want you to be comfortable." He said not telling her that when he reached those later stages he intended to quietly swallow some pills so that he wasn't a burden.

"I will be comfortable as long as you are." She promised then asked. "How do you want to do this?"

"You mean the In Vitro?" He asked.

"I was hoping I was wrong about that. Dick, there is no way I can go through In Vitro treatments. I wouldn't be able to manage it. I am sorry but after what happened as a result of the hospital mix-up to Madison and I; I just don't feel comfortable doing this in a hospital."

"Mac, what other options do we have?" He asked totally confused. He knew that the two girls had been switched, but that was years ago, things were more organized, surely she knew that.

"Uh, home doing the same thing with uh, well a syringe." She said flushing even as she admitted to herself that she couldn't do that. "But we still run into the issue of what if the hospital screws up with your samples. That only leaves one other option."

"Okay, you are going to have to tell me because I didn't come across any other options when looking into this." He said looking at Mac who was standing at the same window he had been a few weeks earlier when he had learned about his illness.

Mac couldn't meet his eyes as she turned red and said "Unless you are medical incapable, how about the old fashion way."

His heart stopping for half a minute, Dick sat there stunned as her words settled in on his already scrambled brain. "So you are saying you want us to have sex with each other?"

"I know that I am not your type and that it might take a little medical help for you but yes." She said in a whisper. "Dick, I know what I am asking is a lot."

"No, if it makes things more comfortable for you, I am fine with it." He said while inside his brain was screaming at him to stop this; that he didn't want to die of a broken heart before he died of the cancer. "As long as we come to a verbal agreement that if it doesn't work this first month we consider other avenues for the future."

Bright red, Mac gulped then said "I did some research; optimum time is in about six days."

Eyes meeting, Dick said "One more thing, I want to talk about this idea of getting married. I know that what I am asking is a lot but you know how my dad is, I just don't trust him."

"It's fine Dick." Mac said while inwardly quaking.

* * *

Five days later, Mac signed the marriage license and looked at her husband. Dick had been extremely quiet that morning. She was worried about his health.

Veronica had been doing research into the location of Logan, but so far had gotten no where; she had even called her father who promised to look into it for her. Mac had spoken to Keith Mars and she got the feeling that he knew exactly where Logan was.

She had spoken to both sets of her parents, the Mackenzies had not been thrilled with her plans but her father had shocked her by telling her that he would support whatever she did while her mother was still upset at the idea of her marrying a dying man let alone having his child.

The Sinclairs had been divided on the subject. Her biological mother oddly enough had been supportive while her biological father had tried to talk her out of it.

"Mac, where did you go?" Dick asked when they were in the limo and heading back to his place where she had moved in her clothes and other items.

"Sorry just thinking about the reactions to the news we were getting married." She said looking at him speculatively. Madison's comment about it not being a shock to her about them getting married had intrigued her but the blond had then changed the subject to her own upcoming plans to move to England.

"I am sorry that your parents are upset." Dick responded.

"It's mainly my mom; she is already moving me on with your death and discussing the challenges of getting a new man when I am a single mother." She said rolling her eyes. "I put an end to it by pointing out that there was always Butters and she actually grinned at me."

"Promise me you won't marry Butters when I am dead?" Dick said then their eyes met as they realized how unreal this conversation was.

"I promise to not marry Vincent Clemmons AKA Butters ever." She said holding her hand up like a girl scout. Her back now against the seat, she looked at the solitaire diamond ring on her hand and said "The ring is beautiful Dick."

He lifted her hand and looked at the simple platinum ring with the small etched wording inside resting against the basic princess cut diamond engagement ring and felt a lump in his throat at the idea of what they symbolized. "I saw them at the store yesterday and thought that they are perfect."

"They are." Mac went quiet as she thought about the day before and how she had gone for a medical check up to be sure she could get pregnant. Being told that everything should be fine; she had thanked the doctor then had gone to visit Cassidy for the first time since he had been interred.

A long talk with the marble slab later, Mac had decided that keeping her secret was for the best, that Dick already had a whole boatload of regrets; she didn't need to add to it.

* * *

Veronica hung up the phone and was on her way to her hopefully future office when she saw Dick's father speaking to a man in an expensive suit. Eavesdropping, she thought about what Mac had told her about Dick's reasons for his plan then watched, waiting for the older man to walk away from who he was speaking with.

When he had done so, she walked over to the businessman and said "My name is Veronica Mars, before you invest with that man there is something you need to know."

Sitting down across from the man, she bluntly told him about Mr. Casablancas past then said "He has absolutely no part in that company he was trying to sell you shares of, it belongs completely to his son."

With a tilt of his head, the man in the suit said "How do I know that you are the one telling the truth? That you don't have a grudge against him."

"Oh, I have a grudge against Mr. Casablancas, a big one, but if you don't believe me, check into him. Talk directly to Dick, here, I have his number in California."

Veronica wrote down the cell phone number she had gotten from Mac then looked at the man and said "Ask his family."

When she had stood and began to slide her bag back onto her shoulder, he said "Ms. Mars, I have been in business twenty five years, I don't trust easily. I had no intention of investing with Richard Casablancas, but I have to say, I am glad I gave you the fifteen minutes, it has been entertaining."

Veronica just shook her head and walked away, heading onto her potential new office. Seeing Dick's father in front of her, she couldn't help trailing him as he was heading to midtown, just like her. When she saw him entering his hotel, she wrote down the information and went on to her interview, her mind on why Dick Senior was in New York.

* * *

Two hours into her honeymoon, Mac laid back against the pillow and looked over at her sleeping husband. Dick had fallen asleep the minute they had arrived home. She hadn't exactly been expecting romance, but still the idea she had bored a horn dog like Dick had her biting her lips at the rejection.

Slipping out of bed, she was heading downstairs when she saw the small office that he used for work. Entering it, she looked around the walls at the buildings with their architectural renderings and the glossy poster size photos of finished product underneath.

Easing her way around she found herself sitting at his desk staring at an old photo of Beaver and herself. She didn't even remember it being taken but assumed it was one of the many candid shots Veronica had taken long before they had discovered how sick her ex was.

Beaver…

She leaned back, her mind on how much of her life still revolved around the young boy she had dated off and on her senior year.

Kind, gentle and as shy as she was, at least that was what she had thought. Instead he had been secretive, moody and oh, yes, a serial murderer. If things had worked out the way she had wanted, he and she would have spent the night together, she would have left for college in the fall and they would have agreed to be friends, nothing more, but fate seemed to hate her.

Instead of being her stepladder into the life of a normal teenager, she had ended up a few rungs down into the well of life.

Now, almost ten years later, she was married to his older brother, the asshole she had known in high school had grown into a more mature, clearly professional but personally broken man.

Eight years before, Logan had made her promise to look out for Dick for him; instead she had been angry when he had called Logan's cell phone that he had left with her.

She had gone straight to the penthouse and found him on the roof, crying into his beer about what he had done to his brother, his father's visit proving to be a catalyst to Dick's emotional dam breaking.

She had gotten him into the elevator and down to Logan's penthouse and had had to help him shower. An hour later, she had found herself fighting her own basic instincts and losing.

The two of them had had sex, twice in about a thirty minute time period. The sex had been good, she was honest enough to admit that, but the strength of her need had shamed Mac, almost as much as the idea of what they had done.

So early the next morning, Mac had packed her bags, left Neptune with the excuse that she was going to visit Veronica, but when Logan through Cliff had taken the offer for Grade My …!, she had moved there, changing schools.

Mac had told no one what had happened with Dick. Max and her breakup had been a mere formality because they hadn't been intimate more than a couple of times in April and had not in May.

When she found out he had married his ex hooker of a girlfriend, she had known that in that particular relationship, she had indeed been the beard Dick had described her to be in the one with Beaver.

Closing her eyes, her mind on her secret, she never saw Dick watching her holding onto Beaver's photo, or how his shoulders slumped before he had left as quietly as he had come in.

Mac put the picture back, brushed the tips of her fingers against the bright blue hair she had had back then, then stood and went to check on Dick.

Finding him on his back, staring at the ceiling, she felt odd climbing back into the same bed then lay down next to him and did the same.

"Do you miss him?" Dick asked quietly.

"Who?" Mac asked as she tried to imagine what their child would look like.

"Beaver."

Mac was silent unsure what to tell him, because the truth was, no she didn't miss Beaver, she missed the idea of who she had wanted Beaver to be. Finally knowing she needed to answer, she was honest and said "No."

"I do." He replied. "It's the sick thing about my past. My idea of brotherly love helped turn my younger brother into a monster, yet, I miss him."

Mac turned her head and looked at Dick. To look at him, other than an odd sallow coloring to his skin, there was nothing different about him. "I don't miss who Beaver was; I miss my idea of who I thought he was. They are totally different things. In my mind I can't help recalling all the problems we had even before that night."

"Let me guess, I was one of the problems." He said with regret.

"Yes you were." She said not pulling any punches then said "His money was another one. I hated the knowing sneers about the rich boy dating the middle class girl. It's part of why I have always hated Neptune."

Dick knew he had been a major part of that and that he had behaved a certain way because that was what his father had taught him, which was exactly how he didn't want his own child to be raised.

Turning onto his side, looking at Beaver's girl, his wife, Dick said "I was jealous of the time he spent with you. I felt abandoned by him having a girlfriend."

"Why?" She asked.

"It's stupid shit." He replied. Looking at the beautiful brunette, he said "That day I saw you for the first time after Beaver died, I realized that you would be the only person left on earth who understood what I felt about my brother and I hated you for that. I didn't want anyone to see that I was broken, so I acted like an ass."

Mac found her hand cupping his cheek as she gently responded. "Dick the whole world saw you as broken. It was clear to anyone who looked at you. I always saw you more as someone trying to live after having every single bone in your body broken. I saw you as struggling to find your way forward. I did understand, but I never saw you as giving up."

Dick pressed his hand to hers, increasing the pressure on his cheek before admitting "When I apologized that day I had been thinking about doing it for several weeks, but I was too scared. That day, I was so drunk that I was sure it wouldn't hurt if you threw it back into my face."

Mac smiled and said "I only wanted to smack you for the attempted pass, not for the words."

Dick looked at her then said "I wish I had had the courage to tell you then how much I loved talking to you while sober."

Mac thought back to his second bout of honesty, the one she was sure he didn't remember and simply said "Me too."

* * *

Veronica was back in the lobby of the Warwick hotel when she saw Dick's dad with a young woman. Realizing she was his wife, Veronica had an idea. Walking over, she said "Do you remember me, Mr. Casablancas."

"Veronica Mars." He replied coldly. "What are you doing here in New York?"

"I live here now. I work in the DA's office." She said with a smirk when she saw him grow tense. Turning to the stacked blond, she said "Hi, I'm Veronica. Are you in school here in New York?"

"Hey, Veronica, I am Stephanie Casablancas, No, I graduated beauty school in early December last year though."

"Casablancas, oh, I guess I know your brother or cousin. Dick and I went to school together in Neptune, though I guess if you are his sister you know that." Veronica saw that Dick's face had turned puce but that for some reason he wasn't interrupting them.

"No, I don't have any brothers." Stephanie replied blinking hard as she seemed to be mulling something over then it hit her. "Oh, wait, you are talking about Dick's son. I guess he is my stepson, though since he is older than me that doesn't count, does it?"

"Wow, you two, you two are married?" Veronica asked playing dumb. "Well congratulations, Stephanie, Mr. Casablancas. I am sure that this one will take, I mean what is this one, number four, sir?"

"Yes, well Dickie wants a little girl; after all he already has a son, even if he doesn't treat his father very well. I really would just love to give him a piece of my mind for not being a better son to poor Dickie." Stephanie said with a frown on her face.

"Two." Veronica said with confused expression feigned on her face.

"Two what?" She asked as Dick suggested that they head out to dinner, pointing out that they have reservations for nine. Hearing his phone ringing, Dick Senior debated answering it with keeping Veronica from his wife.

Deciding she was too dumb to spill anything or to understand the vicious blond spewing lies in her ears, he took a step back and answered the phone.

"Two sons, Mr. Casablancas had two sons, one died." Veronica said pretending a sorrow she didn't feel. "It's so tragic. One died at the Neptune Grande and now, I hear Dick is very sick."

"I know; I heard Dickie talking to his son's doctors about x-ray's and stuff. It's such a terrible thing, did you know that Dickie is so generous; he is paying all of his son's medical bills. He paid his doctor over a quarter of a million dollars already."

"Really? I didn't know that." Veronica said inwardly trying to figure out what the heck Dick Senior had really done with the money because she knew that he hadn't paid his son's doctor's bills.

"Yes, Dickie had a meeting with his doctor when we first came to Neptune back in early April. I had wanted to go to Cancun, but he insisted on being in Neptune. I saw him talking to the doctor who said he would be sure to take Dick on as a patient after his father steered him that way."

"Oh, your Dickie really does sound generous. A quarter of a million dollars when a lot of his money is tied up overseas." Veronica stated.

"Yes, but I heard him telling someone on the phone that he hoped the medical records he had bought did him some good."

Veronica thanked Stephanie and when Dick Senior returned, she smirked and pretended not to know anything except to ask him how Dick was doing. "I heard through the Neptune grape vine he is seeing an oncologist."

When Dick Senior stiffened and looked at his wife, she added "Mac is in Neptune visiting both sets of her parents. Her legal dad had a stroke."

Veronica soon parted, Dick Senior was glad the blond had left and after questioning Stephanie, he realized that if she had been digging, Veronica would have gotten nothing that he had to worry about.

He had had to step away from his first plan which had involved Dick turning over his company, but he still had his second plan in play and if that didn't work, there was always his marriage and possible future child from Stephanie.

Veronica went to the loft and wrote out everything that Stephanie Casablancas had said. Something was tickling her bull shit button. Pouring herself a glass of wine, Veronica read what she had written and then called her father.

Telling him that she had ran into Dick Casablancas Senior and that she had talked to his new wife. "I am sending you what was said but something is off."

"Veronica, there is no crime being committed, I can't investigate if there isn't a crime." He reminded her. "I can't stand the man, but he did his time and I have no reason to track him."

"What about the money he skimmed off?" She asked.

"That is a federal issue." He said clearly not liking it any more than she did. "I will take a look at your notes for you, but to be honest Veronica, I know that the Treasury department is looking at him and they won't like us interfering. They want to nail him for the money he had sent out of the country and those charges would send him back in if they can prove he lied in his plea to the courts."

"Thanks, Dad."

Keith hung up and was on his way home when his cell phone rang. Seeing it said unavailable number, he quickly answered it. "Hello."

"It's me." Logan sounded tired.

"I sent you a letter from Dick." Keith said. "It's important."

"Just tell me what is going on." Logan said.

"Its better you read the letter. I think it explains things better than anything I could tell you." Keith replied.

"When did you send it?" Logan asked even as he scratched his beard. Looking into the window, he saw the slight image of himself and chuckled knowing that there was no chance of anyone ever recognizing him.

"Over a week ago. He went to Cliff and of course Cliff brought it to me." Keith replied. "You should know Veronica is looking for you too."

"For the same reason?" He asked. "What is going on?"

"Read the letter." Keith replied softly then hung up the phone, knowing that Logan should find it at the post office that day or the next.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: Thanks to everyone who had enjoyed and reviewed this story so far.

Chapter Three 

Dick held Mac close, still in stunned disbelief at how good they always were together. He had had to bite his tongue twice, trying to avoid saying things that would have Mac running from him as they had made love.

When he felt her squirming away, he reluctantly let her go but reminded her what the book had to say about increasing possibility of conception.

"I know I just got a bit too warm." She said unable to look him in the eye, her mind numb as she faced that the unrequited attraction she had felt that night they had slept together was still there for Beaver's big brother.

Resting her head on his shoulder, positive that he was only being this kind since it would get him his long wanted child, she hid the growing tears, unaware that Dick had felt their wetness on his shoulder.

Dick felt her, regretting that he hadn't stuck to his guns about using In Vitro. If they had used science he wouldn't be laying there, his mind in the past, thinking of a similar night when they had been close.

He didn't even think Mac remembered what had happened, he was sure that she had been convinced it was a nightmare. He had spent the night sobering up, watching her sleep, listening as she dreamed and muttered his brother's name after they had fulfilled some of Dick's most secret desires.

When he had finally fallen asleep at dawn, his last sight had been Mac resting her head on the pillow next to his, when he had awoken, she had been gone.

* * *

Keith had read the notes Veronica had sent him, set them aside after dismissing them as just Dick Sr. being Dick Sr. However early the next day, he had the nagging feeling that he had missed something.

Deciding to go see Dick, he drove to his office and saw his assistant arguing with a water delivery man. When the now cowed man had left, he said "Is there really a difference? Between the spring fed and the artisan wells?"

"Yes, one is from an actual well, the other usually is from a tap somewhere." Kayla turned around and greeted the Sheriff. "Am I under arrest?"

"For tormenting a lying delivery man, nah, I think that most people would suggest the Mayor give you a medal for that one. Actually, I am here to see your employer if he is available."

"Mac and he were married a few days ago; they are spending some time getting to know one another." Kayla replied.

"Mac and Dick, for what he wants, it makes sense." Keith replied then when he was on his way out the door, thought of the discussion he had had with the head of building security on the way in and looked at the woman.

"I understand Dick Senior showed up here a while ago and tried to take over. What was that about?" He asked.

When she didn't answer, he said "My daughter ran into him in New York and something he said triggered her bullshit antenna. She thinks he is up to something."

Kayla had an internal debate then said "The day Dick found out he was sick, his father showed up, claiming that he was going to take over the company since his son was dying."

"Strange, I got the feeling Dick wasn't that close to his dad." Keith probed.

"He isn't. He has monthly conversations with him, normally on the phone, but this time his father was in town. Dick had been having some headache issues and I had been trying to get him to go see a doctor. I simply thought he might need glasses because he was squinting when reading a lot."

"Instead it was cancer." Keith asked.

"Yes, his father mentioned that it was a medical issue for his side of the family apparently. He suggested that Dick talk to the specialist who he goes to regularly for a check up. Sure enough, he had cancer."

Keith felt his own nagging feeling turning into a sure thing, there was something off about this but what.

"Mr. Mars."

Keith turned to see Dick entering his office carrying a rolled set of blue prints. The young man did look a bit pale but otherwise seemed no different than normal as he greeted him.

"What's up, sir?"

"It might be nothing, but Veronica ran into your father, something he mentioned is nagging at both of us. I was hoping to talk to you about it, but I am not sure what I am looking for or what I expect to find."

"Well other than his trying to take over my company, he has for once in his life been a decent father." Dick replied. "I mean, I don't like that my doctor told him I was sick and when we saw the man today, Mac made it pretty clear that if he violated federal privacy laws again, she would sue him for everything he had, but otherwise…"

"He told your father you were sick?" Keith asked.

"Yes, must have been almost immediately after telling me." Dick said frowning. "I came straight back to the office and told Kay, then went for a drive. She said he arrived after I left, with plans to take charge."

"Dick, who is paying your medical bills?" Keith asked.

"I am, well our insurance company is paying most of them. I am paying the rest. Ask Kayla, they called asking for me to see their own doctor. It's why I stopped in, to pick up the name and when the appointment is." Dick replied. "They want me to sign a liability waiver since I am refusing life extending treatments."

"Dick, let me know what you find out." Keith said, not sure why the idea of his father supposedly paying his doctor was sticking with him. More than likely the con artist had used the money for something he didn't want his wife to know about.

* * *

Mac was talking to her dad, asking him what his doctor had recommended and when she suggested hiring someone to cook and help around the house, both of her parents refused the offer.

"But Mom, the doctor said that dad needed to be eating healthier. You need the help." She reminded them.

"Cindy, one minute they are saying don't drink coffee, drink red wine, then they are saying no wine then no vitamins, then do take vitamins. It sounds to me like even the doctors don't know what they are talking about." Sam replied.

"I like eating what I want and I have those statin drugs, that are supposed to help keep my cholesterol down, why should I change my diet to extend my life when all that means is years of eating bland meals that I won't like."

Mac shook her head, knowing that she would do better arguing with the wall. Standing, she hugged her father and whispered in his ear. "I want you around, dad."

"Go check and make sure that your brother and the rest have the store neat as a pin for your meeting with the buyers." Sam replied.

Mac left, knowing that there was nothing she could do to convince her parents to follow the doctor's suggestions. Arriving at the sporting good store franchise her dad owned, she entered and saw Madison directing the others about.

Greeting the blond, she said "You were right, he wouldn't listen to me."

"Now we do this my way." Madison said then looking around, her eyes narrowed when she saw the windows. "They didn't change the advertisements like I suggested."

Stepping back, Mac went to the office and double checked the books. Finding everything in decent shape, she looked at the messages and the upcoming events before going out the back door to where her brother was supervising the washing of the last big RV.

They discussed their father's stubbornness then Ryan looked at her before saying. "I think Madison's plan might work better, Cindy."

Shaking her head, Mac replied. "I hope so, look, I have to go meet Dick, are you going to be at the meeting tonight?"

"Nah, I have a game. You should come to the stadium sometime, watch me play." He said only for her to reach up and mess with his hair. "Hey, no touching the hair."

Dick was at home when Mac entered the main door. Seeing him rubbing his temples, she asked "Do you want me to turn down the lights?"

Watching as she sat down her keys and her phone, Dick replied "No, it helps to just stop reading for a while. I was just determined to get this done before you got home."

With that, he tossed the file back into his briefcase and closed it. "I had a visit from Mr. Mars today. Veronica called him about my dad."

"I wonder why she didn't mention that to me when we talked earlier." Mac replied a bit put out at her friend contacting her dad, but then remembering her suspicions that Mr. Mars knew where Logan was, she let it go.

When Dick didn't suggest that they go rest, Mac turned on her computer to do some work, never noticing the passage of time until she saw how dark it was outside.

Finding Dick asleep on the office sofa, she went to shake him awake when she saw the picture in his hands. "Oh Dick."

Resting her head against his arm, she sat on the hardwood floor and wrapped her arms around her drawn up knees. She knew he felt guilt about what his brother had become and that that was more than likely a big part of the reason he was so determined to be a parent, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling he was still living in the past.

Dick woke up at the feeling of pressure on his arm and reached down to brush the soft curtain of hair covering Mac's face to behind her ear. "Hey, why are you on the floor?"

"I didn't want to wake you up." She answered as she yawned out loud. Looking at the clock, she saw it said midnight and suggested that they head off to bed. Holding his hand, not even realizing she had reached for it, Mac lead the way to their bedroom, then somehow found the strength to take the lead in what followed.

* * *

Logan read the letter right in the middle of Mail Boxes Etc. His eyes went wide as he read Dick's words. Cancer, terminal, and wanting him there were the main themes but it was what he hadn't wrote that had Logan feeling sick.

Closing his eyes, he heard the young clerk expressing concern for his health. Looking at her, seeing the pity in her eyes, he said "Its fine, just bad news from home."

When she went back to where her coworker was waiting, Logan heard the other girls comments about being nice to the hobo and shaking his head at her shallowness as she disparaged his rather unattractive look, debated between just heading to the airport and going home and grabbing his gear first.

Making a call from the satellite phone he kept in his pick up truck, he was told that there was a flight at ten but nothing earlier without a lot of transfers.

Booking it, he drove back to his cabin, grabbed his laptop, put his cat in the travel carrier to take her to the kennel, emptied out the milk and returned to town.

The woman at the motel didn't give him a second look as he took the key to his hotel room. Once inside, he looked in the soap scum covered mirror, chuckled at the grizzly Adams look he had been wearing for almost seven years and gave it a proper good-bye.

Pulling out a pair of scissors, writing down on his list of things needing a razor and shaving cream; he cut off the hair pulled back in a pony tail and most of the length of his beard.

The only hair place in town was one of those places where they cut heads without looking at the customer. Still the woman was clearly not thrilled with Logan's business as she looked around and made the newest employee take care of him.

The young girl stuttered for him to follow her and when she had washed his hair, directed him into the seat. A hair cut later and he almost looked like his old self.

Grabbing the necessary supplies at the local CVS, Logan soon found himself clean shaven for the first time in years. Rubbing his chin, he was about to shave the slight mustache when he left it, thinking about how white his skin already was.

A long drive into Albany later, he caught his only puddle jumper to La Guardia, then on an impulse delayed his flight and drove to the address he had for Mac.

Watching from across the street as Veronica left for work, he found his heart beating erratically even as he admitted that things would never work out for them, that she more than likely was happy with her life and didn't need his brand of chaos mucking it up.

Staying out of sight as he trailed her, he saw she stopped at the Warwick and curious as to why she was there, he went inside.

Seeing Dick's father, he shook his head and muttering same old Veronica, was on his way out when he bumped into a blond who smiled and said "That's okay, have a nice day."

When he saw Veronica and the woman talking, he saw the blond looking his way and ducked behind a pillar. Peeking out, he saw the blond greet Dick's dad who seemed to be in a good mood at her words.

Whatever was going on, Logan got the feeling that Dick's father was smirking when he greeted Veronica who seemed equally confused.

Seeing the time, Logan went to Times Square and picked up a prepaid cell phone before rushing to catch his flight. He would mull over what he saw later, right now, he needed to concentrate on being there for Dick.

Exhausted when he got off his flight in San Diego, Logan knew he wouldn't sleep but not sure where to locate Dick, he was on his way to the Neptune. Pulling into the Grande he did a U-turn and drove to the police station.

Finding Leo working, he asked "Is Sheriff Mars in?"

"Logan Echolls, wow, I thought you ran off and got eating by Carnivores in the Amazon or were in a dark cell of a Turkish jail or something." The deputy said with a frown.

"Nothing so exotic. Is Keith at home?" He asked.

"No, he is at his weekly dinner with some of the city council." He said. "I think that they are at Luigi's tonight."

Logan nodded and went to leave. Hearing his name being called, he turned and saw to his shock Weevil in a cop's uniform. "What the heck?"

"Don't laugh rich boy." Weevil said with smirk. "Besides, it's not as far fetched as you going all hermit and living in a cave."

"A, I don't live in a cave; it's a very nice two story log cabin with Internet access and everything." Logan replied. "B, A hermit implies no human contact. I see my fellow man; they just don't know who I am."

"Keith told me about Dick, tough break man. You know what he did right?" Weevil asked. When Logan seemed confused, he said "Casablancas helped redevelop the land that the Fitzpatrick's owned. Made it multi economic housing and reworked the warehouses and shit. Then built a place for kids, not like a community center but where they could go to discuss shit. It's been a draw for the community."

Shaking his head, Logan said "I think what his brother did still eats at him."

Scoffing, Weevil said "No, I think that the fact he fell in love with his brother's girl is what eats at him. Man after you left, I know he would get drunk and end up outside of her old dorm room. Since it was empty after Mac left, I gave him the key at the Dean's suggestion."

Shaking his head, Logan said "Wait, are you saying Dick has feelings for Mac?"

"I thought you rich boys were all touchy/feely and shit. That you were in touch with your emotions. Dick straightened out his act after he called your old cell phone. I was there when Mac took the call and went to get him from the roof of the Grande hotel. I heard he had another pitiful drunk incident at a bar near Pan high school that week then there was nothing."

"Stopped partying wildly except around the anniversary of Beaver's death; after which he would get drunk, be found on the roof even after he moved out of the Grande, then would get all maudlin and tell me shit I didn't want to know about Mac and how he had feelings for her."

"Two years ago, I showed up expecting our usual routine, instead he just sat there, sober as a judge, showed me this blueprint and asked how long does it take to fall out of love with someone who has died."

"What did you tell him?" Logan asked.

"That it depends on the person. He said he was going to give Mac four more years, then he was going to prove to her that she didn't have to crawl into Beaver's urn with him. When I first read in the paper that they got married-."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, they got married about a week ago." Weevil said. "I kind of actually felt good for him, you know. Keith told me what is going on, man you want to talk about life being a bitch."

Logan was confused but he was sure that it would make more sense when he finally talked to Dick and apparently Mac. "I was looking to talk to Keith, but I guess I had better talk to the happy couple first."

"Do you have his address?"

Being handed Dick's address by Weevil was surreal enough, but that he was giving it to him wearing a deputy's uniform had him thinking he entered the twilight zone. "Wait, I thought you were convicted of Thumper's death?"

"Overturned and expunged, one of the Fitzpatrick's turned on Liam. Turns out that Boyd and Liam put Thumper in the Shark's stadium bowels. He died during the explosion." Weevil said. "Otherwise, not a single conviction, I never went on trial either."

Shaking his head, Logan left the station, got into his rental car and read the street address. Arriving at the medium sized contemporary, he saw a car in the drive and a light on.

Knocking at the door, he was a bit shocked to realize that the young girl who answered looked vaguely familiar. "Hey, Logan. Dick isn't here right now and Mac just went upstairs to grab her wallet."

"Uh, hello." He said unsure where they knew each other from.

"Lauren, what do you say to having lunch at Java the Hut?" Mac dropped her wallet and her keys as she found herself being bear hugged by Logan Echolls. Gripping him equally as tight, she whispered in his ear "Dick is going to be glad you are back."

Not letting go, Logan just closed his eyes for a second then reluctantly loosened his grip. Looking at Mac's face he asked. "Weevil said you married Dick, is it true?"

"Yes, it's a long story. I know you have lots of questions, but would you mind waiting until Dick is here for us to answer them together." She said.

"Sure, I just feel like I entered the Twilight Zone, Weevil is a cop, Dick is apparently a philanthropist and you married him." Logan muttered "What's next?"

"Madison and I get along, well that is an exaggeration, more like we peacefully co-exist when it comes to our mutual parents." Mac said and saw his shock. "Longer story than Dick's and mine. Uh, Duncan is married and his wife's name is Devon and when you meet her, you are going to be reminded of his sister in some very uncomfortable ways."

"Really, Duncan is married and it's not to Veronica." Logan said lightly.

"You know Veronica doesn't and didn't feel that way about him, Logan." She gently said.

"It didn't stop her from running to him before." He replied a bit bitterly.

"No, it didn't." She answered, and then looking at him said "The two of you are simply marking days on calendars. You aren't living your lives, you are too stubborn however to admit that you need each other."

Lauren gave a slight cough then suggested that they reschedule lunch. "It's fine. Now that you are home, we have all the time in the world."

Lauren left and Logan looked at Mac. "How is he?"

"Good days and a few bad hours. I am more worried because it is mainly bad when he looks at blueprints a lot or when he has spent too much time at the office." Mac said then looking at him added "He is so tired on those days; he gets terrible migraines and feels sick to his stomach."

"When does he start chemo?" Logan asked.

This was the part that Mac knew was going to be difficult. "He is refusing to do the treatments; it's why we got married."

Logan said "I don't want to lose anyone else, Mac. I don't think I will survive it."

"You haven't lost Veronica, Logan. Duncan asks about you every single time he is home, Heck, even Trina has called me looking to find you since we are still legally business partners. Dick is scared but I am hoping he changes his mind. Yes, you lost your Mom and Lilly but that is all."

"It's not that simple Mac. Veronica is gone, out of my life; she has her own and is happy. I don't think that deep down I ever forgave Duncan for what happened with Veronica. He and I, things between us will never be the same. Trina probably only wants money and Dick, Dick and you, there is something I don't know about this, something that tells me that you two aren't exactly Ozzie and Harriet."

"He wants a legacy, a child. He is happy he won't be around to screw him or her up." Mac said softly.

"Why would you agree to do that and don't give me the Beaver excuse, either Mac. I think if anyone understands the truth about the Beaver and you, it's me thanks to Lilly. So tell me why?"

Mac heard the hard tone in Logan's voice and said "When you left."

Gaining the strength to talk to him about something she had never even discussed with Veronica, she said "When you left and asked me to look out for him, there had already been this, well incident. It tugged at my heart strings, shocking the hell out of me."

"What happened; Mac?"

"His father happened and I had to come and get Dick. I did and I brought him downstairs, I got him showered and I thought at the time, sobered up a bit." She said with a sigh, unable to look at him. "We uh, ended up. Well you know."

"Sleeping together?" Logan suggested not really surprised and not because Dick was a hound dog. When they had been working on Grade my Ass, he had seen the spark between them and had hoped that they could work out where Veronica and he hadn't. Still, he had believed all this time that nothing had happened, yet apparently something had.

"Yes, but it wasn't that that was the problem." She said then looking at him said "Let's just say that Dick opened up to me about a lot of things and what he said was a huge shock to my system. So I ran, breaking my promise to you, I ran and didn't come back."

"Mac, that isn't a reason for you to go through with this, whatever this really is. Whatever Dick said,"

"You don't get it, Logan." She said her tone broken. "It wasn't until he said what he did that I realized he wasn't the only one with those feelings. I had to run or I would have stayed, stayed and been unsure if what I felt was real or fake. When I came home, when I saw Dick, I realized I have spent the last eight years running from what happened."

"What did happen, Mac? What made you run?" Logan asked.

"Dick said that he finally, finally saw me that year; that it shook him because he didn't want to, that he preferred I stay pigeon holed in the little box he had labeled for me. I felt the same way about him, but when we talked at the beach that night we are all together last, he tried to kiss me."

Logan wasn't surprised, because Dick would always be Dick when it came to his feelings for a pretty girl.

"The thing is, I pushed him away but regretted it. And I only did that because I felt the same pull he did. It shocked the hell of out of me. When I got him from the roof, when he began talking, it touched me and then when we… finally, finally felt what Veronica talked about when it came to the two of you."

Logan ignored the Veronica comment and asked "What did you feel?"

"It was just a total and complete sense of belonging and the absolute terror of fucking it up." Mac said her eyes challenging him to deny what she said. "It's why when he asked me to do this, I couldn't say no. I was hoping that it would give him a reason to fight, but I screwed up, Logan."

"What do you mean?" He asked taking her into his arms when he saw her sudden tears. "Mac, what is it?"

"I think that if I am pregnant, that Dick is going to use that excuse as a reason not to fight." She whispered. "I went away, so sure that if there was space between us, I would stop having these feelings, yet there they are, still here. He is still tugging at my heart and I am going to lose him before we find out what this really means."

"Then tell him how you feel." Logan said softly.

"I can't. You don't understand; what if he changes his mind about the baby. I would at least have…" Mac's sobs had Logan figuring it out even if he didn't agree.

Mac got control and said "Dick said that one of the reasons he asked me to do this was because I am not in love with him, if he knew I was, he might take it back."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

Veronica heard her phone ringing and listening to her dad said "Are you serious, Dick's doctor was one of the people that Mr. Casablancas conned."

"Yes, I found his name on the original list, not the updated one that the Treasury department has. I did some checking; Dick's doctor invested almost fifty thousand dollars."

"Why is he treating Dick?" Veronica asked.

"Better question is why when he was on the original list is he now off the current one." Keith asked. "The Treasury department agent I spoke to said that several of the original investors did drop off. I looked we are talking about the Kanes, the Echolls, the Enboms, the Pomeroys and of course then Gants. I figured with Aaron's death, that debt became null and void. I spoke to Jake; he said that he let it go at Duncan's request. Mrs. Gant died and her grandson who inherited her estate did the same. The rest were similar stories, people who wouldn't miss the money and knew the boys. The only other name off the list was his doctor's."

"Who can't afford to just let a fifty thousand dollar investment go unlike the billionaires on that list, right?" Veronica said.

"Exactly, at first I thought that Dick Senior paid the debt so that he would treat his son, but why would he pay five times the amount and then there was something about the x rays you said he told his wife he purchased."

Veronica's brain was tingling as she went through the various reasons he would buy x rays. Mac's words about Dick sending his x rays to other places to be checked out echoed through her mind.

"Dad, what if Dick isn't… what if… what if he isn't sick?" She asked. "What does his father gain from it? I mean eventually Dick would notice if he didn't die. What does he gain short term from the lie?"

"I don't know. Still it's a reach, Veronica. I know that Dick has seen other doctors at the clinic." Keith replied.

"Maybe I am wrong." She said. "Still the money bothers me."

"Me too." Keith replied then he had a thought. Getting off the phone, he did some research and found that Mr. Casablancas even when in prison had the payments kept up on the long term life insurance policy on his son. "So, Dick is still worth more dead than alive to his father even if he won't inherit from him."

Dick looked and greeted Veronica's dad who handed him a copy of the insurance policy. He was quiet for a moment when he saw that his father had somehow managed to collect on Beaver's policy in spite of his having committed suicide.

That his reason for being in town hadn't been to bond with his older son like he had said; that no he had remained because he was in a battle with the insurance company and he had wanted to keep it discreet.

"Not a surprise, Mr. Mars. It's how my dad is." He said. Being told the other theory, Dick said "Well my dad knows how insurance companies work, he would have known that I would have to have a physical by another doctor if I refused treatment."

"Did he know you refused treatment?" Keith asked.

"No, at least he didn't mention it." Dick stated. When Keith explained his theory of Dick being healthy, the blond chuckled and said "No unfortunately that is the one thing I am sure of, I was sick before he even came to town. Kayla kept pressing me to see a doctor."

Dick went quiet then said "I know that you mean well, but in truth, its time for me to let it go, Mr. Mars. It gives me hope for a few seconds then tears it away. I think that is worse than having to face that I am dying."

"I'm sorry Dick." Keith said. "I will let it go."

"No, don't." Dick said quickly. Seeing the man's surprise, he said "I am sure you are right that my dad is up to something, I need you to protect Mac and if we do have a child, our child, when I no longer am around. I just don't want to know what you find about my health only to learn later it isn't true."

Keith nodded and vowed to protect Mac for him then said "Logan is at your place with Mac. Weevil sent him there."

"Mac sent me a text. I just don't want to face him, not yet." Dick said as he looked at his desk. "I didn't have a choice in when I talked to Mac, Kayla sent her a message, so it was easier but with Logan, I owe him my life, but when I talk to him I need to ask him a favor."

"Go home, Richard, those who love you are there." Keith said then added "At times like this, be with those who love you, it makes things easier."

"For me, things have always been easy." He said with a twist of his lips. "For once, I am going to make things easier for others."

"Go home." Keith repeated as he walked to the elevator then staring back through the door saw Dick lifting a photo from his desk. Shaking his head, hoping that the younger man did as he suggested, Keith himself went home.

* * *

Mac heard the sound of footsteps and heard Dick heading straight to the bathroom. Sitting up, she didn't turn the light on, knowing that sometimes its brightness bothered Dick.

When he returned, he stopped in his tracks when he saw she was awake. "Hey, Logan is here."

"I know I got your text." He said tossing his robe onto the chair by his bed and climbing in next to her. Looking at her, seeing her tear tracks, he said "I had a visit from Keith Mars that had me thinking. I'm sorry, I should have called."

"It is fine, Dick. It's not like we have a normal marriage." She said her face turned away to hid her hurt. "I asked Logan to stay in the guest bedroom."

Dick lay on his back, staring at the ceiling then said "He made you cry, didn't he?"

"No." She answered softly then on her side, watching him she said "Dick, we talked and he is right. I have a few things I need to tell you."

"Not tonight, okay." He said avoiding the words that he was sure were going to come. That she was doing this to honor her past with his brother, that she was so sorry for him but that she was having doubts. All of the ways that this could go wrong were echoing in his head. Looking at her, he said "Words hurt right now, Mac."

Taking that to mean he had had headache, Mac rested her head against his shoulder, taking some small measure of comfort in being allowed to be this close. When his arms came around her, she once again hid her tears, unaware that he could feel them.

* * *

Logan woke up to the sound of something distant. The sound of glass clinking had him getting up and heading down the hallway. Seeing Dick standing at the wall of windows holding a glass of something he was sure contained alcohol, staring at the ocean he said "I keep hoping that this is a trick to get me home."

"I wish it was." Dick said turning to greet his best friend. When they had done the typical manly hug, he said "It's not though."

"Yeah, I gathered that when I saw Mac. I was just thinking about the past recently and when she and I started our company. How you used to hang around. I thought at the time it was because of the subject, but no, it was because of Mac."

Logan saw Dick turn to look at a photo and went to look at it himself. It was of Mac and Dick but it looked to be taken in high school. "When was that? Where was that?"

"Elevator, that idiot had a photo of all of us together in the elevator, I just had the rest of them cut out." Dick said then lifting it said "It's a symbol to remind me that just because it looks like we are together we aren't."

"You fell in love with her, didn't you?" Logan asked. "During our freshman year at Hearst."

"I don't know, I just saw her, really saw her and instantly felt a huge amount of guilt at the idea of her when Beaver had loved her. I went to see her one night; called her his beard because I was so angry she seemed still upset over his death, that she could read me, read my emotions." He replied.

"I get that, wanting to hurt someone who knows how badly you are hurting but knowing deep down you aren't hurting the right way. It's fucked up but it happens. Hell we have all of tenth and eleventh grade as proof that I understand it."

Dick looked at Logan and said "I was so sure that I would have time to find out if it was real, you know. When I was told I was sick, given my options, I went to Neptune proper. I haven't been downtown in years. I let Kayla deal with that stuff."

"Heck, I live on a mountain top with barb wire fencing around it." Logan said. "It gives me solitude to write but it also protects me from my own heart."

"Veronica?"

"I think it always will be Veronica. Every time I tried to move on, Parker, Hannah to an extent, hell even Kendall was about her. I was sick of how nasty I felt when involved with the Kendalls of the world, yet hated how I destroyed the innocents like Hannah and Parker. Hannah got shipped off and from what I heard she ran away from home. Parker…"

"Wasn't the innocent you thought she was." Dick said then taking a deep breath. "You told me you never wanted to hear Veronica's name or Piz's again the last time I tried to tell you this, but Veronica wrote you a note, she sent it to Wallace."

"Let me guess, telling me to go to hell." Logan asked.

"I don't know what was in the note. I do know that Piz and Parker conspired to keep you from getting it. I overheard them talking junior year about it. Piz really, really hated you, man. Not just for the beating but because he knew that Veronica still loved you."

"Yet she left with him." He said.

"No, she didn't and that is the only thing I was sure of after listening to them. She left town for the FBI and he made it look like they were together in New York but they weren't. She was in Washington part of the summer then with Mac the rest of it in New York."

"It's in the past, Dick." He replied firmly.

"No, it's not." Dick looked at Logan and said "Do you have any idea what I would give to be able to change the past?"

Mac had come to find Dick, worried he might have passed out and instead heard him talking.

"I could have saved Beaver from himself. I could have prevented what happened to Veronica, to Meg. Beaver and Mac might not have happened because I would make myself get my head out of my ass sooner. She might never have loved my brother; she and I might have stood a chance."

"Dick you need to tell Mac what you are feeling." Logan replied.

Mac felt her heart breaking when she heard Dick saying "No, I would walk away if I thought she really cared for me. I won't put her through the same darkness that she went through when Beaver died. I won't. I just won't cause Mac more pain."

Tiptoeing back to their room, Mac sat down and faced that she would have to keep hidden her own feelings because she couldn't; wouldn't lose what little time they had.

Rubbing her stomach, almost praying she was pregnant, she just sat there and vowed to herself that she wouldn't press him, wouldn't force him to tell her what was in his heart. She would stay silent about her emotions.

Dick and Logan stayed up and watched the sunrise then when he started to suggest surfing, remembered his promise to Mac just said he was going to bed.

In their bed, his eyes on the almost constant tear tracks on Mac's face, Dick almost wished he was unselfish enough to let her go. While he kept saying that he was aware that all of this wasn't real, in the middle of the night, when he woke up and Mac was in his arms, it felt as real as anything ever had in his life.

"Dick?" Hearing the hoarseness of her voice, he just moved in closer and for his reward, he felt Mac's soft sigh as she rested her head against what seemed to be her favorite pillow, his shoulder.

When she moaned in pleasure, he gave a soft chuckle at his body's instantaneous reaction. "At least something isn't affected by my being sick."

* * *

Logan entered the station the next day and saw Keith Mars exiting his office. "I have perfect timing. I was looking for you."

"You are buying me a cup of coffee." Keith said as they went over to Java. "So, I gather you saw Dick and Mac?"

"Yes. It's almost unreal." Logan replied.

"I need your help, Logan." Keith said handing over the two lists. "I am not a PI any more so I can't go looking into these things. Can you use the shock of your return to talk to Casey Gant and Jake, find out about how they came to be investors with Dick's father? And if there are any other names not on this list, please let me know."

Logan agreed and put the skills he had gained doing research for his books to good use. After getting a list from his father's former accountants, he did some checking. All the major investors except for those whose children had known the Casablancas boys were still part of the group looking for their money.

A little more research and Logan went back to high school. Seeing Mr. Clemmons was still the principal, he was greeted with "Please tell me someone from the Board of Education didn't retract your diploma."

"No." Logan mentioned their old FBLA classes and asked what happened to the man teaching it. Being told he was still there, he went to speak to him.

"No, and the reason I wasn't part of the lawsuit, was that in spite of how much money I lost, it wasn't worth it." Logan took the paperwork offered.

"So you were told you would only get pennies on the dollar."

"Yes, corporate accounts would get the biggest percentage of the payouts. I just didn't see the sense in hoping and dreaming that I would ever get my funds back."

Logan looked at him and said "You do know that Beaver took what you taught him and used it to take his father down."

"I heard that he was behind what happened to his dad. That was a very troubled young man. I always expected his brother to be the one who ended up in trouble, yet. Dick came to me, offered to return the money his father had gotten. He was shocked when I turned him down."

"I have to admit, I am too. After all the trouble he caused in your class and you failing him." Logan pointed out.

"I only did that because I wanted him to open his eyes and realize that life was much bigger than Neptune and his experiences. When I learned about Cassidy, a lot more made sense." He said. "Those two boys, they were brought into this world and left to raise themselves with no real guidance and way too much money."

"That pretty much describes all of the 09ers." Logan said.

"Yes, but those two even more than the rest of you. You know a few months ago, a bunch of the local people his father ripped off was meeting at the Java when one member of the group mentioned that he thought that Dick's dad had cancer."

"That he had seen the man with Dr. Prosier from the oncology clinic. We all knew he had lost a large amount in the scam. Tom said that he was sure that the doctor would rather violate his Hippocratic Oath than treat Dick Sr. that he lost his house due to him."

"Prosier is treating Dick for brain cancer." Logan said.

"Dick isn't his father but I am still surprised, but you know what, I wonder if Prosier made a deal with him. Prosier dropped out of the suit later that week. It makes sense."

"Except that I can't picture Mr. Casablancas paying over money to save Dick. Not if there wasn't profit in it for him. In fact there is a reason for him not to save his son, he has a life insurance policy on Dick." Logan said thoughtfully then thanking his teacher went to leave only to be stopped.

"You know the effort Mr. Fennell and you put into your final project. It's a shame it wasn't there all along." He said.

Chuckling, Logan said "I'm a mystery writer now, sometimes I think back to how I thought I would never need Physics and want to kick myself. "

"See, sometimes your teacher is right." The man said then wished Logan good luck with his research. "What name do you use, if you don't mind me asking?"

"LA Lester." Logan responded as he went to meet Keith Mars, he was beginning to think that Dick's father was up to something with Dick's doctor that had his friend deciding to give up. 

* * *

Sitting at the breakfast table, Dick saw Mac looking at a calendar and asked what she was looking for as she went back and forth between the last few weeks.

"I'm just looking it over to figure out my schedule, nothing too important." She said delaying answering because what she was looking for should have happened the day before at the latest.

"I heard you on the phone with Madison. The store sold?" He probed.

"Yes, dad was told he has to take it easy. I set up Ryan a college fund when I got my first payout from Body Works. My parents don't have any major bills so after they pay off the store bills they will be putting any funds into their future."

"What are their plans?" Dick asked as they ate breakfast. He had found himself eating healthier since Mac had moved in.

"Dad wants to travel once Ryan graduates. He has to get the all clear from his doctor but he won't listen to him about diet. Points out that he would get plenty of exercise bird watching and hiking like they plan to do." Mac said sounding exasperated with the man. "The thing is he is refusing to acknowledge how important diet is."

"How about the hiking, how can he do that?" He asked knowing that she would have done research on his dad's illness like she had his.

"It was a very mild stroke, the only reason it was noticed was that his doctor ran his annual tests a few days later. Dad had another mild stroke while there. It's a big deal but not a big deal."

Dick hid that he didn't like her parents were still considering going forward with their plans when Mac might need them but accepted that maybe they were going then because they wanted to be back when things were worse.

Heading to the construction site after breakfast, he felt light headed and kept it to himself not wanting to admit that he wasn't feeling that great.

* * *

Mac held her breath as she waited for her answer. Finding that the first test said yes, she took a deep breath and looked at the second. The second test said inconclusive.

"Okay, time to go see the real doctor." She said and drove across town to the clinic, hoping it was still there. Finding Carmen working there, they quickly greeted each other and got caught up on their lives.

"No more romantic entanglements for me." Carmen was telling her. Looking at Mac's wedding ring set, she said "Looks like you got married.

"It's a very long story but yes. Do you remember Dick Casablancas?" Mac expected sneers and was mildly surprised.

"Yes, you do know he paid for the kid's clinic don't you?" She said. "After what happened to his brother and other boys, he set up a non judgment zone so that they could go to talk about things, to get help."

"Yes, I guess I just didn't realize it was public knowledge." Mac replied. She had only learned about it because of Keith telling Veronica.

"Its not known to the general public but the school system knows who was behind it and I treat patients over there sometimes." Carmen announced. "Now why are you here, I mean if you are involved with Dick? I doubt you have to come to this place for free medical treatment."

"I just don't want to deal with the possible implications of the wrong people knowing before I tell Dick. We want a baby but if I go to be tested there, I might run into someone and this way, it would be anonymous."

"Okay, let's get your blood drawn then I will get the obstetrician." Carmen said. An hour later, a stunned Mac was breathing into a paper bag at the news she was definitely pregnant.

"Mac, are you okay. I mean, you said you wanted this baby." Carmen stated as she helped Mac sit down in a chair.

"I do, I am happy, I just, it went so, it happened so quickly." She replied with a blush. Calling Dick's office, she asked Kayla where Dick was.

"He had moved up his appointment with the insurance company's doctor to today after his afternoon appointment cleared." Kayla replied. "Do you want the address?"

"Yes please." Mac wrote down the address, thanked Kayla then impulsively hugging Carmen said "I have to go tell Dick."

"You know, Carmen, I seem to recall a handsome and bald motorcycle rider you once liked is free." She said with a smirk.

"Sorry but I don't think he has gotten over his crush on Mars yet." She said with a sigh. Seeing Mac's surprise, she said "That was always the theory as to why he helped her so much."

"I never saw it. I think that they are just friends." Mac stated. "You know, Logan is back in town and Veronica is coming to see us this weekend."

"That won't help. Not only don't I want a man who is crushing on another girl, I don't want one who only chooses me as a consolation prize."

TBC 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Six 

Dick was in the MRI tube, he hated these things but the examination doctor had requested he take one after the x-rays and oddly enough a sonogram.

They had looked at the files he had brought along, at the video taped appointments that he had had with several specialist and other than a few grim remarks had said nothing to him.

When the noise had abated, he was told that the doctor would get the results later that evening and asked if he wanted to wait.

"No, its fine, this is only going to be a repeat of what I already learned." Dick stated and left the room. Seeing Mac in the parking lot leaning against his car, had him  
smiling as he said "You know that the driver would have let you sit in it."

"I didn't want to, I am enjoying the sunshine." She said with a smile and handed him the official paperwork. Seeing him reading the words, then his eyes meet hers then go down to stare at her stomach, she was hugged tightly and then told thank you. "I have to admit, I am a bit shocked at how quickly this worked.

"Me too." He admitted then hugged her yet again. Resting his hand against her still flat stomach he asked "What's next?"

"I have to make an appointment with my own doctor and then I am sure she will assign me some prenatal vitamins and I will have a whole list of things to eat and not to eat."

Dick pressed a kiss to her cheek and then held her tightly against him, hiding his emotions at the idea of them having a baby. Of there being a part of them together, that will live long past his death. Yet, he also felt a sense of guilt knowing he was not the man she wanted to be parents with.

His phone rang and Dick saw that it was the hospital. Answering it, he was not happy when they insisted he come back in immediately. "Why, so that you can tell me I have a little less or a little more time than I was told the first time. No, I just-."

"Mr. Casablancas it is urgent we speak with you." He was told.

"It will have to wait." He snapped.

"It can't. You need to immediately stop taking that supplement you have been prescribed. Look, just come back inside." He heard.

Mac suggested that they just get it over with and they went back inside. Meeting with the doctor, Dick said "I don't know why you are wasting what little time I have left with more nonsense. I can't imagine that that supplement can do much more damage then the cancer."

"Well if you had cancer it couldn't but since other than what I would guess is an urgent need for glasses you are fine." Dick's eyes went to the man snapping at him and blinked. "Now you are getting it. I am not sure what happened at Neptune General but you no more have cancer than I do. Your brain scans are perfectly fine."

"But how?" Mac asked as she held Dick's hand. "He was told he was dying. By several different doctors."

Showing them the two scans, how the brains weren't even the same size, he showed them the various colors and what they meant. "Simply put there was an x-ray mix up and your doctor for some reason never noticed. The specialists never examined you and they went by the original x-rays and blood and tissue workups. The part that concerns us is that you were told the growth was rapid and a second set of x-rays to back that up were taken but they also had to belong to the other patient."

Dick was stunned as the words rattled around his brain that he didn't have cancer that he wasn't going to die. "Wait, but I have been dizzy and passed out a few times."

"That is the result of the electrolytes in the supplement messing with your healthy immune system." The doctor patiently explained. "I will contact your insurance company and have them begin exploring how this happened."

Dick thought about what Keith Mars had said to him about his father then looking at Mac who was now pale as a ghost and closed his eyes, angry at himself for falling for one of his father's cons. "Give them the name of Richard Casablancas Senior. I think that they are going to find my father is behind this."

Hearing Mac gasp, he stood and reached for her. "Mac lets go."

"Okay." Mac felt stunned at the good news but couldn't help wondering what this meant for them and for their baby. Her hand automatically went to rest on her stomach as she reeled from the idea of his being so thrown by this that he ran.

In the car, they sat there and he looked at her and said "Right now I am sure you want to kill me."

"No." She said quietly then looking at him said "You aren't dying Dick. No cancer. That is good news."

She reached out for his hand and placed it on her stomach. "This is also good news. We are having a baby."

"That is why I said you must want to kill me." He replied his face full of guilt as he realized he had unknowingly trapped her with his dad's lies.

"Why?" Dick saw that Mac was looking bewildered so he tried to find the words to explain. Getting his thoughts together, he began to answer her but before the words were spoken, she leaned over and pulled his head down into a kiss then whispered "Our son or daughter will have you in their lives. I don't have to pretend that the idea of you dying doesn't upset me. No more having to hide that it was making me cry, no more having to pretend that I don't have feelings for you. I think that this is good news."

"Mac, you don't have to pretend. You don't have to make this into something it's not." Dick found himself pinned to the seat as Mac settled on top of him as she placed her knees on either side of his hips, grabbed his face and glared at him as she tried to avoid getting a steering wheel up her butt. "What?"

"You have to be the most the most, the most obvious person in the world." She said pressing a kiss to his lips. When he didn't respond she whispered "I love you, I loved you when I left Hearst. You don't get it, do you?"

"No, tell me again." He said his eyes suddenly widening as he was told that she loved him and that she was very glad he wasn't dying.

"Uh, folks, you do know you are in an open convertible." Weevil said his eyes any place but on the make out session in the car. He expected that behavior from Dick but not from Mac.

Mac looked up with a happy expression on her face. "We're pregnant, Dick doesn't have brain cancer and I think I am going to embezzle all of his father's funds just to make sure that he stays out of our lives."

"Congratulations on the baby, Sucks that he thought he had brain cancer but at least it was wrong and please don't tell me about your criminal tendencies." Weevil retorted.

When they went back to kissing, he whistled out loud until they stopped. "Get a hotel room, will yah."

"Why would we do that when we have a bed?" Mac moaned as Dick tried to maneuver her a bit so that he could start the Audi.

Weevil went on up to visit his grandmother, shaking his head in amusement as he sat there with the elderly woman who had raised him.

* * *

When Logan arrived at the house after a day spent chasing after Dick's father's shady business dealings he heard the very distinctive sounds of a very busy couple.

Grabbing his overnight bag, he went to crash at the Mars place. Greeting Keith he said "I think that Mac and Dick got things straightened out. At least it sounded like it."

"Spare room is all yours." He said then seeing the small black leather bag said "Though, I guess you know that."

"Have you talked to Veronica?" He asked.

"I left her a message; it went straight to voice mail all day." Keith replied. "If you are hungry there is pizza in the fridge, I have to go talk to Leo who is doing Weevil's shift. His grandmother is sick."

When Logan's head came up at that announcement, Keith said "Just old age. Weevil sits with her when she gets put in overnight for observation. It helps keep her calm."

* * *

It was almost three in the morning when Dick and Mac realized that they hadn't shared their news with anyone. Looking at the clock, he pressed a kiss to her lips, Dick said "It's the middle of the night. We can wait until tomorrow."

"What are we going to do about your dad? I meant what I said, Dick. About hacking in and taking his money away." She vowed even as she rested against his bare chest. "Even if I am happy that we got together, it doesn't change what he did."

"I know, I just don't think telling the police about it and then doing it would be such a good idea. Maybe just the threat of it might make the Treasury Department be able to trace him moving it around." Dick said thoughtfully before rolling them over so that Mac was now lying underneath him.

"It's six AM in New York though." Mac said suddenly and Dick groaned and rolled off of Mac and to her side. Burying his head into her shoulder, he listened as she pressed the buttons to call her best friend.

* * *

Veronica let herself into the apartment, tossed her bag into the bedroom and went to get something to eat. Finding the half empty pizza box and two empty beer bottles she was debating lecturing her father about his eating habits when she heard her phone ringing.

"Did I wake you?" She heard.

"No. Mac's its three in Neptune, what are you doing awake." She asked.

"Its more like who I am doing." Mac said with a chuckle as she saw Dick's face turn purple and shake his head at her. "Anyhow, when you wake up, I need you to hurry up and get to Neptune. I need your help Bond. Let's just say that we have a bad guy to take down and if you don't want your godchild born in prison you will get here  
to stop me or represent me."

"Godchild? You're pregnant? Already?" Veronica felt a sinking sense of disappointment. She had discovered some payments between Dick's father and his doctor that had her convinced that he wasn't dying. Now Mac was going to be trapped by her own kindness and pity for Dick.

"Yes." Mac heard Veronica's tone and knew that she was going to have to have a long and honest talk with the blond that might just cost her her best friend. "Be happy for me, I am."

"I can promise to try." She heard. "Though, if you are already pregnant why are you still having sex with Dick?"

"Why does anyone have sex?" Mac asked then looking at Dick said "Veronica, so that you don't say anything that can't be taken back. I love him; I did when I fled Hearst."

Veronica was silent then reminded herself that no one least of all Wallace had understood her relationship with Logan at certain points. "You couldn't fall in love with Weevil or even Wallace?"

"Sorry, Bond but no. I had to fall in love with a bad boy." She replied then when he whispered something into her other ear, she said "Dick is protesting, saying he isn't a bad boy."

Veronica admitted "I have heard the rumors. I will see you tomorrow Q."

Hanging up, she skipped the beer and went to where her father used to hide the good stuff. Getting out a glass and the bottle of scotch, Veronica poured in two fingers and said "To you Mac. Here is hoping you know what you are doing."

The man standing in the doorway of her old bedroom took in the beautiful blond standing with her back to him and hid his yearning for her with a snide comment "You know that they sat it is bad luck to toast alone."

Veronica shrieked and turned shocked at the sound of Logan's voice. In stunned surprise, she said "What are you doing here?"

"Here as in your father's place? Here as in Neptune or the more existential meaning as in on this planet or plane?" He asked.

"Same old Logan; can't get a straight answer if I tried."

"Well depends on whether or not I am being interrogated or am being questioned by my girlfriend." He replied. "Oh and the answer. I came back when I heard about Dick, was staying with Mac and him but let's say that they were loud and busy when I left. Your dad let me crash in your room."

"Wow, things have changed. My dad would have never let you cross the threshold before." Veronica remarked.

"I think he knows that by now if I want to be in your bed, it's just to sleep, nothing else. I have come to enjoy not having my balls kept in a vise." He replied.

Veronica looked down, stunned at the attack then hearing him apologizing said "Why, if that is how you really feel?"

"It isn't. You have this way of making me so insecure that I end up using you as cannon fodder. I am sorry, Veronica." He replied sincerely. He didn't want to be attacking her but at the same time he didn't want her to think he would just roll over for her. "I really am."

"Where have you been or is that a secret?" She asked the hurt tone in her voice making Logan feel a sense of regret but knowing if she had known, she would have tried to talk to him at least once and he had needed this time to put himself together.

"A cabin in the Adirondacks. I went there to heal and started to piece back together my heart. I wrote, only left the park when I had to. Its three in the morning, can the rest of this wait until its morning." He asked.

When he headed towards the sofa, she stopped him and said "I will sleep on that, I fit a heck of a lot better."

"I am too tired to argue and too numb to be a gentleman." Logan replied as he went to get her one of the pillows and tossed a blanket at her.

* * *

Dick woke up alone in the large bed and laid there trying to deal with the various truths. He wasn't dying, Mac was having his baby and his father had some sort of sick game going on.

Rising, he went to find Mac; sure that she was already plotting how to escape. He was sure she regretted what she had told Veronica on the phone the night before. Instead he found her in the kitchen talking on the phone to someone.

"Anyhow, since Dick isn't dying, I uh, am hoping to convince him that we need a honeymoon. So either he agrees and comes willingly or I kidnap him and drag him off until he admits to loving me as much as I love him."

Dick stood there, listening, hiding his smile as he listened to Mac talking to whomever about their future. When she ran her hands down to her stomach and patted it gently he had an idea and went with his first instincts.

Walking over he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and then ran his hands around her waist and pulled her back against him. Whispering in her ear to hang up, he saw her gasp then tell someone that she would call them back.

When she had hit end, he turned her around and leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss. Breaking the kiss, he struggled to breath then said "If I don't tell you I love you just yet, does that mean we still get that honeymoon."

"If you want one." She said then looking at him said "Just so that we understand each other, I love you and not because of this little one."

"I love you too." He said with a shy smile that surprisingly reminded her of one of the few things she still recalled liking about Beaver. "I have for a while."

"So, since you are going to live, where do we go from here?" She asked her voice catching as she asked what he wanted to do. "If I get a vote, I want there to be an us; for us to be a family in ten months."

"Ten months, I thought it was nine?" He asked his eyes going down to her stomach as if he could see their baby already.

"Forty weeks, I was a bit surprised when Carmen said ten months too." She said with a laugh. "So what do we do first?"

Resting his head against hers, he said "I go get glasses. Are you sure you want to be married to a man who wears glasses."

With a soft laugh she said "I kind of like the idea of you wearing glasses, I think you will be hot looking."

Blushing a bit bemused at how Mac could make him feel like an inexperienced school boy, he said "Okay, let's find out how quickly I can get an appointment. I already threw out the supplement and then we have Mr. Mars find out what the hell my dad is up to."

"Let's let him do that and you need to figure out what to do about your company." She said reminding him that he had a lot of people to tell he wasn't dying and a company to get back on track.

"I would rather stay here with you, with our baby." He said leaning down to kiss her. Hugging her tightly, he said "I am a bit scared though, Mac. Look how I treated Beaver."

"I am not your mother. I won't run, won't leave. You aren't your father, Dick. Speaking of him, you go talk to your assistant; I am going to speak to Mr. Mars."

Dick almost felt bad for his dad at the idea of Mac going after him like she clearly wanted to. Calling to make an appointment to get glasses and to make an appointment to get a complete physical, he drove to his office.

Getting off the elevator, he found Kayla already at work. "We need to talk." She followed him in and took a seat across from him. "My dad lied; he hired someone to convince me that I was dying. I don't have cancer. Oh, and Mac is pregnant."

Trying to keep up with the news, she said "Let's break this down a bit. You aren't dying?"

"The insurance company physician didn't just look at the x-rays I was given, he ran a whole series of tests, recommended that I get glasses and then told me to throw out the supplement that it was making me sick." He told her what he had learned.

"So what did you mean with the next statement?" Kayla asked and saw Dick's grin. "I guess you spoke to her."

"Yes, she and I talked, but we had already found out about the baby before we learned of my father's treachery. I owe my dad a big thanks for his lies giving me the impetuous to be honest with her. " Dick announced.

"So does that mean a certain set of plans to be removed from a certain dusty shelf?" She asked pointing to the artist rendering of his dream house.

"I have to talk to Mac. Maybe while we are on our honeymoon. I figured that since we have a light schedule until we get things back up to speed, I would like to take Mac on a trip someplace."

Kayla smiled and hugged him. "I am so happy for you."

Dick looked at Kayla and said "When I get back, we need to make a few changes, hire you an assistant so that you can take charge of a few more projects because I am not going to be a parent like my dad was."

* * *

Mac was leaving the house having made a few calls before heading out when she saw Logan pulling into the driveway. "Just where were you last night?"

"Are you going to pretend that you even noticed I was not here?" He asked hugging her as he looked at a happy Mac. "From the looks of things, you told Dick your feelings."

"That is part of it, but I will send you to visit him so that he can tell you the rest." She said hugging him. Sniffing near his hair, she hid her smile as she noticed the very distinctive and rare perfume that Veronica had chosen on a trip they had taken to a perfumery in Boston.

"He went to his office?" Logan asked a bit surprised.

"Yes, do you need the address?" She asked.

"No, I saw the building on my way here from San Diego." He replied then seeing Mac with her computer bag asked "Where are you heading to?"

"I am off to see Veronica's dad." She announced. "It's about something that Dick will tell you about."

"Please call Veronica." He said as he hugged Mac yet again then drove off in his rental car.

Mac went to the Sheriff's station and was greeting Leo when she heard Veronica's voice. Turning towards Veronica she saw her speaking to Weevil. "Mars get your butt over here."

Veronica waved at Weevil who went to speak to his boss and hugged Mac. Taking a step back, she said "You look different."

"I will explain why when we were done with your dad." Mac said then when they were in the conference room she said "Care to explain how you ended up in Neptune this quickly?"

"I was here when you called me. I had just gotten to dad's place when you called last night." Veronica said as they sat down and waited for her dad.

When Keith entered, frowning, he said "Veronica, I need to speak to Mac for a few minutes, alone."

"It's fine sir." Mac said. "I gather the insurance company called you?"

Nodding yes he said "They told me what happened and what they suspect."

"Someone care to share?" Veronica asked.

"Dick's dad lied, set it up to make Dick think he was dying. He isn't." Mac said bluntly, just ripping the band aid off quickly, knowing that Veronica would have a lot to say on the subject.

"Oh shit and you are pregnant, already." Veronica said appalled.

"Veronica, I am happy about that." Mac warned then looking at Mr. Mars said "I was hoping to read the file, I might have an idea what he is up to but I am hoping Veronica will come to the same conclusion without me telling her."

"I will send in the files, including what I have that the Feds had." Keith said then congratulated her on the baby. "Mac, how did Dick take the news?"

"He was relieved to know he won't be dying, ecstatic about the baby but furious about his father. I am the one who threatening to destroy Dick Senior. I know he had money hidden. I would like to find it and return it to his victims."

* * *

Dick saw Logan exiting the elevator and greeted his friend. "Let's sit down."

Joining Dick in his office, he looked around and gave a low whistle. "Who is the architect you are working with?"

"Anthony Fisher, he was working for a huge firm doing subdivision housing but once he got his license he went out on his own. I offered office space for five years in exchange for him designing the building." Dick said as he showed him the view.

"Damn." Logan took in the ocean view then looking at Dick said "Things seem busy around here."

"I found out Keith Mars was right to be suspicious. The insurance company doctor said I wasn't sick, showed us the fake x-rays as well as my real x-rays. I am not dying."

"Son of a bitch." Logan sat down again and stared at Dick. "For real?"

"Yes, I am in need of glasses but not brain surgery." He stated. "Mac and I, well we were a bit busy making up for lost time."

"I know. I heard you two last night. It's why I left the house yesterday." Logan said with a smirk. "From the sounds of it, you made up for a lot of lost time."

Flushing a bit, Dick said "I uh, was happy about the idea of having the next sixty years to make her happy."

"Congrats, man." Logan said in shock at the idea of the man in front of him worrying about someone's happiness other than his own.

"We are also pregnant." Dick announced. Seeing Logan's surprise, he said "Well we were trying rather frequently to have that happen."

"Seriously, congrats all around, man." Logan said quietly.

"We are going to get away for a few weeks. I uh, made some calls, including to my mother, she told me a few things, things that explain what she thinks my father is up to." Dick said grimly. "We have to go meet Keith and Mac."

"And Veronica." Logan said. Seeing Dick's grimace he said "You do know that Mac and she are tight, you can't get away from that."

"It's not that. I just think she is still stuck in the past. Mac and I were talking last night about a lot of things." Dick told him thinking in astonishment about how a an hour long conversation had changed his life and his perspective on the relationship between his brother and Mac. Unlike what he had always believed they hadn't been destined for happily ever after, interrupted by his brother's insanity but a simple high school romance gone bad.

"You talked? When did you have the time? The only words I heard were you panting out her name in between groans and her rather breathlessly calling out yours." Logan said.

Flushing a bit, Dick said "You must have been here before Mac got hungry for food. We did a lot of talking, and I think I figured out what my dad was really up to but we also had a very difficult talk about Beaver."

"You do know she wasn't in love with him, don't you?" Logan asked. Seeing Dick nodding, he said "I understand what she was going through because I was in the same situation with Lilly."

* * *

Veronica thought back to what Dick's newest wife said about Dick Sr. wanting a daughter and asked Mac for her phone. Dialing the number listed for Dick, she heard him saying I love you, shivered and with a sharp tone said "It's Veronica."

"Why are you calling me on Mac's phone, is there something wrong?"

Hearing his frantic tone, Veronica quickly assured him that everything was fine and handed Mac the phone. "Tell him you are fine and then I need to ask him a question."

Mac took her phone back and then asked Dick what he was up to at that moment?

"Logan and I are on the way to meet with you. And I guess Veronica." He replied a bit reluctantly. "I need to figure out what my dad is up to."

"Well on that note, Veronica can wait until we meet to ask you her question. I was thinking Luigi's in ten." Mac said and saw Veronica nodding enthusiastically as she gathered the paperwork they needed.

Arriving at Luigi's, Veronica saw Logan speaking to a tall man whose face she couldn't see and Dick nearby talking to the hostess. Walking over expecting to hear him flirting with the busty blond she instead heard him asking about a private room and green tea.

She told him they didn't have a private room but that she was sure that they did have green tea for his wife. Veronica heard Logan's soft laugh and turned to see Madison had entered the joint. She nodded at the two guys, greeted the guy that Logan had been talking to then went to eat, without so much as a single word to any of them. "Same old Madison."

"No, the old Madison would have been making nasty comments, this Madison is too aware of how lucky she was and is smart enough not to do that any more." Dick replied.

Seeing her sneer, he said "I know what happened, why you hate Madison so badly for what happened at Shelly's party. It never made any sense to me, Veronica. Madison didn't know her drink was drugged, yet you blame her. Why?"

Veronica wanted to snap at him, wanted to rail about past hurts but before she could, Mac had finally entered carrying the bag from the store she had gone into next door. "Hi."

Watching the decidedly loopy expression that Dick's face got as Mac joined them and how he gently pulled her closer, Veronica felt a twinge of regret as she finally saw them together. It was very clear that Dick loved Mac and that she had equally deep feelings for him. Something about how Dick was with Mac had her realizing that this wasn't the same immature asshole that she had known all those years ago, that this Dick had changed.

She saw Logan watching her and had seen his eyes on her as she had been about to rail at Dick but had noticed how he had relaxed when he had seen the married couple together. When he nodded at her, she wanted to scowl at him but found it hard as they were led to their table and Dick was gentle with Mac.

When she laughed and kissed him and reminded him she wouldn't break, Veronica heard Dick's response and just had to get away. Standing, she said "I will be right back."

Rushing outside, she leaned against the building, trying to calm down, trying to accept that Mac was happy. Seeing a white handkerchief being waved in front of her, Veronica took it and wiped the tear that she had been trying to fight.

Looking up, expecting to see Logan, she was shocked instead to see Madison standing there. "What do you want?"

"World peace, to feed the world and oh, an endless supply of dark chocolate truffles but I will settle for you going back in there and supporting Mac like she has always done for you." The blond said.

"Veronica, you are the only in still stuck in the past. Learning about Mac and my drama, it helped me realize that the idea I had of being oh so superior was nothing more than an accident of birth or in our case a mistake at the hospital." Madison said with a grimace. "Look, Mac and I made peace, of course it took her slapping the shit out of me, but we did. Don't you think that maybe, we should declare peace. Look I am sorry that you ended up with my drugged drink but whatever else you think of me, you should know. I would have never knowingly drugged anyone."

Seeing Veronica puff up, Madison said "Look, we are never going to be friends, but we are also not these age old enemies you want us to be. See, I have retired from the battlefield. You won, you won when you were twelve, I just never noticed it. The only good thing is that I don't think you did either."

"What are you talking about?" Veronica snapped.

"Logan Echolls has had a thing for you since we were kids. I was there that day, you know." Madison said.

"What day?" Veronica was beginning to feel angry at the smug grin on her face.

"When Logan and you met at that soccer match. He smiled at me when he went inside with his parents and the Kanes. I can still remember how it made my heart flutter that Aaron Echolls' son had smiled at me. Then I saw him watching you, he almost got hit in the head with a ball he was so distracted, Lilly saw it too. I think he had smiled at her as well. Its funny, the two of us our hearts beating wildly and who was it that Logan couldn't take his eyes off of. You, with your grass stained clothes, your hair coming out of the braid and sweaty face. I just never understood how powerful that had to have been. I mean, he dated Lilly, so I was so sure back then that it hadn't meant what I thought it did."

"What are you ranting about, Madison. Stop wasting my time and just tell me." She said rolling her eyes.

"Okay, I will make it short. Yes, I got Logan into bed in Aspen, but it took him being falling down drunk and crying about you to get him there. But it was your name he called out and I realized he didn't even realize who I was. I hated you for that for so long, but now, I just pity you. You had a great guy who worshiped you but you threw him away because you just had to be VERONICA MARS, who needs no one. Who believes that the whole world has to change to fit into the boxes you want them in, but doesn't seem to realize that maybe, just maybe you were part of the problem. Anyhow, I came out here for Mac's sake, So get over what your issues are and get in there and support her like she has always supported every asinine decision you have made."

Veronica looked through the window and saw the way Mac kept anxiously looking her way and smiled at her friend then mimed texting before looking at Madison who was still standing there. "What? Seriously, you expect me to believe that Mac slapping you around for a few minutes changed your total personality."

"When I found out about the switch, so much made sense to me. I meet my biological parents, I felt like I belonged. It was earth shattering, Veronica. Even worse when I realized that Dick had feelings for Mac. After Logan's sober rejection of me, it hurt like hell. You know, I only dated Dick because my dad knew his professionally and he was sort of third in line for the throne at Neptune. To know that if things had gone the way they should, I would have been so much happier." 

"Sure Madison, I am sure that you were so happy to know that your real parents were not rich." Veronica retorted.

"Veronica, rich parents or not, I would have been where I was either way, you want to know why, because I am ambitious, don't have a shy bone in my body and don't mind breaking the rules to get what I want. It's partly why I have never fit in with the Sinclairs. My parents aren't exactly rule breakers. Their idea of the perfect vacation is going through musty old buildings and museums, Lauren has actually read most of the books in that library my dad is so proud of, I can't stand it. I think that the room would be put to better use as a media room."

Veronica looked at Madison and saw that she meant what she said and could only say "Then it is a shame that you two weren't switched back."

"Maybe not, I think it is fates way of making sure that the Mackenzies had a daughter who would be there for them. Mac is a much better daughter to them than I ever would have been. We sold the store this week and she could have asked for her seed money back but she didn't, she put it in a trust for them. I don't know that I would have done that. Now, you had better get back inside, before Logan's laser glare kills me."

With that, Madison walked off and Veronica saw her getting into a car with the tall man from inside Luigi's. Back inside, she said "Who was that guy with Madison, he looks familiar?"

"Our old computer tech at Neptune. Remember Remy?" Mac asked with a smile on her face.

"That French guy?" Dick said scowling a bit at the idea of Mac remembering him.

The waiter came over and delivered their food, Veronica sighed with pleasure at the sight of the manicotti. When she moaned loudly after biting into it, Dick looked at her and said "Would you like to be alone with your food, Ronnie. I am sure that he can get you an extra order to take home and use however you want."

"She isn't that bad, you should hear her when she gets her first Coney Island hot dog in the spring. That is embarrassing." Mac teased.

"So says the woman who can't walk past the cheesecake display at Whole Foods without buying one." Veronica pointed out. "Unlike you I have never eaten a whole cheesecake for dinner."

"Ah, that was the best. Chocolate marble cheesecake with caramel spread on top." Mac's wide grin had Dick wanting to laugh but her next comment had him worried as she looked at Veronica and said "I was reading up on cravings and stuff. I almost can't wait. Ellen said that she ate dill pickles dipped in hot sauce when pregnant with me. Mom said she wasn't that bad, she just ate stuff with coconut on it all the time."

Logan was feeling a bit queasy as he asked "Why would anyone eat dill pickles in hot sauce?"

"According to the book I just picked up, the cravings are caused by a hormone that is telling my body that it is missing a nutrient or something that is in whatever you crave." Mac said then pulling out the book handed it to Logan only for it to be intercepted by a worried Dick. "What?"

"Pickles in hot sauce?" He asked as he went to the table of contents. Then finding a section he found way more interesting he turned to the correct page and Veronica who was seated across from him, saw Dick gulp and seem to flush. When his eyes went to Mac in a sort of exploratory manner, she was even more curious then he leaned down and whispered something in Mac's ear that had her now flushing.

Taking the book back, Mac hissed "It does not say that Dick."

Veronica saw Mac reading the page that Dick showed her then her eyes widening before she turned blood red. "Mac what is it?"

"Nothing." She muttered trying to put the book away but now Logan was intrigued because Dick looked spooked, Mac looked embarrassed and Veronica just looked confused. He reached for the book and said "What page, Dick?"

"312." He replied and Logan promptly turned to page 312 and began to read. Laughing he looked at the couple across from him and said "Dick, why are you upset?"

"Nothing, It's nothing, really." He said then when Logan handed the book to Veronica and pointed out the relevant section, Mac and he both were sputtering. As she read the paragraph she looked up and said "Really, four times the normal sex drive. Dick, no keeping Mac barefoot and pregnant, just to experience that."

Laughing Dick said "That would kill me for real. Big Dick wouldn't have to worry then."

That had the smiles fading as Veronica remembered her question for Dick. "That trust fund that you got when your dad fled, how was it set up?"

Shrugging as he didn't get why it was important, Dick said "We would have gotten it when we were eighteen. Which for me was a week before graduation. There is another sum at twenty one with the balance at the discretion of the executors, its pretty standard, Veronica."

"So was it only for Beaver and you, or were there codicils if there were more kids?" Veronica asked.

"No, my grandfather was the one who pushed for Bettina and Dick to marry. At least, I think that it is only for their kids but it is pretty much a moot point, Veronica." Dick said.

"Why?" Logan asked. "I mean if it is just for your dad's kids, he can still father kids even at his age."

"It wouldn't matter." Dick said with confidence. "I got whatever Kendall didn't loot of Beaver's company, it's what I used to help set up the center. When I turned twenty five, Mr. Grafin and Mr. Davis turned the entire trust over to me. I used that for the clinic."

"Does your dad know that?" Veronica asked.

"I think so, I mean, he was…" Dick thought about it then taking out his phone, found the right contact and pressed the button to call the law firm. Being put through right away, he asked Mr. Davis whose answer kept Dick tied up for a few minutes. The others kept eating until he hung up. "Okay, so Mr. Davis said that there was no legal reason to inform my dad because he was no longer involved with the trust. Oh, and by the way, he managed to loot the trust of almost three million dollars before he got kicked off the board."

"Call your dad, tell him because I think that that young wife of his is there only as a dupe." Veronica felt bad for poor Stephanie who was being snowed by Dick Senior.

Dick said he would take care of it back at his office then asked "Did you figure out what this was all about."

"Yup, your dad needs your company to launder the almost four hundred million dollars that he stole from his investors." Mac replied. "He can't just access it without going to jail for a very long time. Plus his investors would be able to get the funds back if it was proven that they were part of the money he stole."

"He socked it all away. He can't get to it because the Feds are watching." Veronica added. "From the looks of things, he was bleeding the company dry with the intention of running away with Kendall. Kendall had her own plan after that. My guess is that your dad would have died and she would have run off with the Fitzpatrick brother of her choice."

"I wonder if Beaver knew?" Dick asked.

"About what your dad did with the money, no. That your dad was planning on fleeing, maybe." Veronica admitted.

Mac said "I don't know if he crashed his plan out of anger or resentment but I do know that he didn't want your dad to win. I truly think that he thought if your dad left your mom would come home though."

"Yeah, Beaver wanted a mom, but Bettina wanted to forget her mistakes." Dick said.

As they finished their meal, Dick said "I just realized that I never called her, never told her when I found out I was sick. How sad is that. I only called her when I needed to figure out what Big Dick was up to."

Rubbing his back as they stood, Mac kissed him then said "Veronica and I are going to be meeting with the insurance guy at the police station. I will see you home about five."

"Four?" He asked.

"Fine, four." She said with a laugh that turned into a sigh as he leaned down to kiss her then patted her stomach. Looking for her bag with her book, she saw that Dick had it and was about to ask for it back when he leaned down and said "I want to read about this increased sex drive thing."

Veronica watched with a slight smile on her face as Mac talked to Lauren who had been down at the police station paying a parking ticket. "I just got caught up and forgot to put a quarter in the machine and it has cost me fifty bucks, That is so wrong."

Reading where she had gotten the ticket, Veronica said "You got a parking ticket at the library."

"Don't laugh." Lauren muttered then asked Mac "So when do you find out if you are having a boy or a girl because I think that Lauren would make a nice name for a girl."

"It would work for a boy too." Veronica pointed out with a smirk only to be told by Mac that she had lots of time to think up baby names and that Loren for a boy wasn't going to be on the list.

"Fine, but just think on it for a girl." Lauren said as she stubbornly clung to the idea. Thankfully the Insurance fraud investigator showed up and soon had Veronica and Mac in an office. As he took what they already found, he said "Dr. Posier slipped out of town already but the Trauma center is cooperating fully. We have found out that it was another of his patient's records that he showed Mr. Casablancas."

"What about his father?" Mac asked.

"The Federal authorities are looking into that gentleman; they will let me know when he has been arrested so that I may interview him."

Mac was feeling a bit frustrated as she went home. Working for an hour on her own programming, she was just about to call Dick when she had an idea. Moving to her main desk top, she began to do some research and within minutes had figured out how to track the money.

"Hey." Looking up, Mac saw that Dick was carrying in bags of groceries. "I went to the store."

Joining him, needing to stretch her muscles a bit, Mac followed him to the kitchen and helped put away the fruit, veggies and dairy he had gotten. "What's all this?"

"I was reading this." He said holding up the pregnancy book. "These are what they recommend eating. I know you like your veggies and stuff but we have mainly been doing take out which can't be good for you."

Standing on her tiptoes, Mac kissed him and said "I thought you only wanted to read about my increased sex drive."

"We have time before that kicks in. Right now, you should be feeling your breasts aching and wanting to take naps soon." Dick said his eyes on said breasts before he said "They will also start to swell a bit soon."

Mac was about to make a joke about that when she was asked about how it had went at the station. "Pretty much no where but I have an idea. I am going to use my newest program to search for Dick's funds. If it works, I may sell it to the government to do the same."

When she was moving back towards the study, he deftly edged her towards their bedroom and insisted on taking a nap. "I'm not tired, Dick."

"Good because neither am I." He replied and shut the door behind them before kissing Mac and unbuttoning her shirt at the same time.

* * *

Chapter Eight Epilogue

Two weeks later, Dick Casablancas Senior was arrested on a laundry list of charges ranging from insurance fraud to bigamy. While most were sure that Kendall was dead, she had never been officially declared so, so Dick's marriage to Stephanie had turned out to be null and void.

He had called his son wanting him to bail him out of jail only to be told that Dick was the one who with the help of his wife had gotten him arrested. After angry shouts about how could his son betray him this way, Dick Senior had been advised by his attorney to try for a lessor plea, that he would have to give back the funds but that it might help his cause.

Being selfish, the man rejected the offer, certain that once again he would receive very little actual time in jail and that when he got out he would need the money. The judge had not been please and when the con man was informed that he was going to prison for twenty to life, he had scoffed in disbelief, until the moment bailiff walked over and placed him in handcuffs, he had expected to get out of the charges.

* * *

In Neptune, Mac was trying to survive her pregnancy when she seemed to have gained several overly protective men into her life. Weevil, Keith Mars and Logan hovered more than Dick did and that was saying something.

Her husband had already set up a daycare on the premises of their office building so that their child would be there during the day when they had no choice but to be there. He had already begun redesigning his dream house into their dream home, moving the master bedroom to the same floor as the family bedrooms, not wanting their children to be far away from them even if it was a mere fourteen steps.

Other than the overprotective husband and friends, Mac had had a rather boring pregnancy. Veronica had ended up moving back to Neptune, she was currently working on taking the California bar exam so she had ended up working at Mac's office.

Mac's clients had been thrilled at the idea of a fully licensed PI and future lawyer working to catch the hackers and scam artists and Veronica was finding that she enjoyed the very parts of the business that Mac loathed.

She had even been required to escort one of Mac's gaming clients out to lunch. Yes, Logan had hired Mac to create a game based on his highly successful mysteries series. Then had driven her so insane that she had begged Veronica to get him out of their office.

Lunch had led to another lunch, which had led to a take out dinner which had lead to talking at the beach. Eventually they had both been honest with each other. It may have been eight years down the road, but it had happened.

Things had gone well, there had only been one small snag in the rekindling and solidifying of their now permanent relationship. See, Logan had ended up taking in a stray Cat while hiding in the New York woods. Veronica had been given a gift of a puppy by her her dad.

The two fought regularly like cats and dogs did, with the usual results. The dog cowering in a corner and the self satisfied cat sitting on a high book shelf, smirking at the canine.

But eventually even Backup Junior and Bogart the cat came to a truce, thankfully just in time for Mac to go into labor. Labor you ask?

Well it was a typical first baby. A few days later, a strung out father, sure that his son or daughter (sex unknown sense Dick was scared to find out ahead of time) was never going to be born. A fairly calm mother and a rather strange extended family all eagerly awaiting the next generation.

Theodore Samuel Casablancas was born just past midnight on a Saturday morning, his father swearing off sex, his mother knowing that would change long before the six weeks abstinence requirement was up. A healthy little boy, he quickly got the world's attention by peeing on the delivery nurse who wasn't too happy when the new father loudly exclaimed that's my boy.

* * *

Dick Senior would find out he was a grandfather a year later while reading an out of date Business Week. An article inside mentioned the new environmentally friendly mall that had opened in the wealthy seaside community of Neptune California and how the owner/builder would exit his own opening ceremony when his wife went into labor.

He would shake his head in disgust at his son not having learned any business sense from him. "Dickie boy, you don't abandon work to be there for something as mundane as the birth of a child. I taught you better than that."

Dick Senior would be so annoyed, he would actually send a letter to his son telling him how he was a disappointment to him and that he was foolish to let a woman have that much control over his life.

Two months later, he was shown to the office of the warden where he had expected to be told he was being freed, that there had been a grave miscarriage of justice. No, instead he was informed that the FBI while looking for terrorist funds had found his secret bank accounts. His victims were being reimbursed, he would have nothing left when he got out.

Richard Casablancas had a heart attack right there in the warden's office and passed away. He would have hated his funeral. Three people showed up. His son who was there because his wife had convinced him it was the right thing, said wife had attended and so had his first ex wife who had made peace with her son.

* * *

Dick and Mac were now the happy parents of a happy little boy nicknamed Theo. by his dad. Veronica and Logan were always willing to baby-sit, mainly because Veronica was trying to find a cute way to break the news to her new finance that they were going to have to speed up the wedding plans so that their own little one was born after the wedding.

Logan had convinced her that they should take Theo. to the beach one afternoon while baby-sitting their godchild. Veronica had agreed, hoping that she would find the words to tell him what she had now known for three weeks.

She need not have bothered. When they arrived at Dog Beach, she found their family and friends waiting and that Wallace was in town that week, not for the conference like he had told her but because Logan had told him that they had to move up the wedding.

So Mac was walking down the aisle in a simple summer dress, amused as her husband held their one year old son up at the make shift alter. Wallace beside him because he had protested being a bridesmaid, so he was the Best Man for the bride.

Next to arrive was the bride, laughing hysterically in spite of her attempts to be serious as she walked down the aisle to stand next to Logan wearing a simple summer dress in yellow.

Looking at her groom when she was standing in front of the priest, she had to say "I always knew we would have a shotgun wedding."

Logan winked at Keith Mars who was putting away his empty pistol and said "Just like I always knew that it would be you forced up the aisle by said shot gun. Now let's get married before our daughter is born." 

Keith shook his head, not happy with either of them for the backwards way that they always did things. As the judge pronounced them husband and wife, Mac saw Dick's eyes on her and blew him a kiss.

The happy couple were heading back down the aisle when Dick's arm went out to hug his wife close. With a smirk, he leaned down and asked "Do you know where we are?"

He saw she didn't so he pressed a kiss to her lips then said "Same spot I tried to kiss you nine years ago."

Just as they were trying to kiss again, this time around their now sleeping son, they hear Logan crowing that he had always known that it was her.

Lifting his head, Dick looked to where Veronica and Logan were joking, arguing and laughing then at his wife. "This, this is what life is all about."

"Insane friends, nutty family." Mac said with a bit of a scowl at Madison who had crashed the wedding with Casey Gant. Looking at Keith Mars, Cliff and her dad along with Dick's assistant as they were clearly talking about the missed field goal that had cost the Charges a spot in the playoffs, she added "People we truly care about."

"And one more thing." He said sniffing their son with a resigned smirk on his face. "Poopy diapers."

When Mac quickly pointed out it was his turn, he walked back to the truck and simply changed Theo's diaper. Looking at his son, amused to see that he was grinning at him, he said "Your life, won't be perfect, but I promise, you will have all the love you need."

Hearing a soft sniff, he saw his wife watching and whispered to Theo., "Your mommy is getting all mushy, I think we should convince her to duck out of here and we should go home and spend a family day. What do you think?"

Theo. giggled, his blue eyes moving between his mommy and his daddy as he kicked up his feet covered in white socks, his shoes already missing. "I think that was a yes, Mr. Casablancas."

Looking around, they saw that the party was in full swing but that the happy couple were already slipping away. Dick gently placed Theo. in his car seat, got rid of the stinky diaper then helped his wife up into the seat, driving off towards their Happily Ever After.

The end.


End file.
